IDDC

Making Development Inclusive: National event series - event 4
International workshop on Italy's commitment to Article 32 of the CRPD

On 21 October 2011 IDDC member AIFO, along with the Italian Network on Disability and Development, hosted a conference discussing strategies for implementing Article 32 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as part of the EU funded Making Development Inclusive project.

This event was linked to AIFO's 23rd “Experiences of Hope” International Conference, and was also one of the first events sponsored by the recently established Italian Network on Disability and Development (RIDS). This network was created to implement and monitor cooperation in national and international Italian initiatives around disability and development. The conference served as a platform to introduce RIDS in the development community, with the introduction of the RIDS manifesto as part of the conference and the involvement of all of the RIDS member organisations (AIFO, DPI Italia, EducAid and Fish) in the conference's organisation.

The conference was designed as a workshop for various actors in the field of development to come together to share information and tools to best implement Article 32. Members of the development community from many different backgrounds were present, sharing their unique experiences and perspectives. 

The first half of the conference focused on the exchange of best practices in disability and development cooperation, and featured IDDC Chair Johannes Trimmel as one of the first speakers. Mr. Trimmel gave a general overview of the role that international cooperation can play in advancing the CRPD. Nadia Hadad, a representative of Belgian IDDC member PHOS, then discussed point 8 on “External Action” of the EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020. Another key speaker was Mina Lomuscio of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who explained the Italian Cooperation programme. Together, these three speakers outlined a set of tools to guide implementation of the CRPD: the guidelines for introducing disability issues into Italian policy and activities, the thematic study of international cooperation in the CRPD, and point 8 of the EU disability strategy.

The first half of the conference also included presentations of field projects in inclusive development in Mongolia and El Salvador, featuring speakers Tulgaama Damdinsuren of AIFO and Arianna Taddei of EducAid, respectively. Dube Kudakwashe, Chief Officer of the African Decade of Disabled Persons, also shared his experiences later on. Having such an array of speakers along with other representatives from many more NGOs and DPOs was essential to the success of the conference and allowed for networking among the various organisations.

The agenda for the second half of the day shifted to more active participation for attendees with the opportunity to discuss the tools presented in the first session and begin to outline future activities.  During this session, a round-table discussion was held, featuring Alana Officer of the World Health Organization (WHO). The conference set up open discussion to follow the round-table, and concluded with a discussion of a potential road map for the future implementation of CRPD in Italian policy and activities.