25 July 2014: The UN Secretary-General issued a review of progress on mainstreaming disability in the international development agenda (A/69/187). The report recommends the establishment of a UN coordinating mechanism for responding to technical assistance needs, particularly in relation to future development goals in the post-2015 development agenda.

The report, titled ‘Realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities: a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond,’ calls for reliable and internationally comparable data on disability to be gathered to enable monitoring of achievements. It notes that, while progress has been made on mainstreaming disability within the UN system and its programmes, outcomes have been uneven, and the success of gender mainstreaming may offer an example for further promoting disability mainstreaming and reducing gaps between policy and practice.

The report recommends that the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 70) undertake a review of achievements towards the realization of development goals for persons with disabilities, encourage Member States to adopt national disability strategies with concrete actions, measurable targets and indicators, and consider issuing a periodic global report on disability and development.

The report calls on Member States to ensure an inclusive approach to the post-2015 development agenda, guided by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD) and based on the core principles of equality, non-discrimination, participation, inclusion and accountability.

The full report is available on UN Enable, the website of the CPRD Secretariat. [Publication: Realization of the Millennium Development Goals and Other Internationally Agreed Development Goals for Persons with Disabilities: A Disability-inclusive Development Agenda towards 2015 and Beyond] [UN Enable]