IDPP Executive Director and American University School of International Service Associate Professor Dr. Derrick Cogburn is participating in a series on key United Nations meetings focused on disability, development, digital societies, and CRPD+10 from 28 November – 2 December 2016. The events include the IDPP Side Event “Soft Launch: CRPD Mobile App” on 2 December from 1:15pm-2:30pm in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the 2016 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
From 28-29 November, Dr. Cogburn and two students in his American University School of International Service Undergraduate Capstone Seminar “Towards Inclusive Sustainable Development in the Year 2030” are attending the Third Expert Group Meeting on Monitoring and Evaluation for Disability-inclusive Development (MEDD), a UN working group that Dr. Cogburn was invited to join last year facilitated by the Secretariat on the CRPD in the Division for Social Policy and Development at the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (SCRPD/DSPD/DESA). IDPP is facilitating accessible remote participation for this meeting in collaboration with SCRPD/DSPD/DESA.
According to the UN, MEDD is an informal network of experts, researchers and practitioners from the UN system, academic institutions, member states, non-governmental organizations, particularly disabled persons’ organizations, and development partners with experience and expertise in the areas of monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the international development goals, including expertise in policy-analysis, data, statistics, monitoring and evaluation relevant for disability-inclusive development, particularly in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Dr. Cogburn is also meeting with Ms. Daniela Bas, Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development at UN DESA on 29 November to continue discussions around deepening IDPP-UNDESA collaboration on a range of fronts.
On 30 November, Dr. Cogburn is participating in the meeting of the UN Working Group on Disability and Digital Societies, which explores how digital information can empower persons with disabilities and contribute to disability-inclusive development, in particular the monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. IDPP is also facilitating accessible remote participation for this meeting in collaboration with SCRPD/DSPD/DESA.
On 2 December from 1:15pm-2:30pm in Conference Room 8 at UN headquarters, IDPP is organizing the Side Event “Soft Launch: CRPD Mobile App” in commemoration of CRPD+10 and the 2016 International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Date: Friday, December 2, 2016
Time: 1:15pm-2:30pm US Eastern Time
Location: United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 8
Recording Link and UN TV Livestream
Soft Launch: CRPD Mobile App
In Commemoration of CRPD+10 and the 2016 International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2 December 2016, 1:15pm-2:30pm US Eastern Time
Co-sponsored by SCRPD/DSPD/DESA, The Nippon Foundation, International Disability Alliance, Disabled People’s International, World Enabled, and the Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Side Event celebrates the soft launch of a beta version of an iOS 10 mobile application on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The Side Event offers an opportunity to showcase, engage with, and discuss the beta version of the mobile app – the first of its kind in the world – with a multistakeholder audience of UN officials, government representatives, academics, disabled peoples’ organizations, disability rights advocacy organizations, and civil society participants.
This is the first mobile app of its kind, with the aim to raise awareness of this critical disability policy framework, its contents, and its significance for human rights and disability rights. The beta version of the mobile app will facilitate greater broad public understanding of the CRPD and feature a listing of the articles of the CRPD, as well as indices of countries that have signed and ratified the Convention with corresponding dates. It will allow an iOS mobile device user (iPhone and iPad) to quickly and conveniently access the contents of the CRPD for the purposes of knowledge, awareness raising, research, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. The app is a significant stride in CRPD implementation, and will help to advance the goal of universal ratification and implementation by signing parties.
This CRPD mobile app is a project of the Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) at American University in collaboration with UNDESA/DSPD/SCRPD and The Nippon Foundation.
Agenda and Speakers:
Each speaker will share their perspective on ideas they might have for the development of this app and the impact it might have in contributing to a broad public understanding of the CRPD and as a powerful channel for awareness-raising of global disability rights. Speakers will also discuss possibilities for further development, enhancement and expansion of the mobile app in future phases, as well as effective dissemination channels for broad public usage of the app.
Welcome Remarks (2 minutes)
- Dr. Derrick L. Cogburn
Executive Director, Institute on Disability and Public Policy, American University; Associate Professor, School of International Service, American University
Opening Remarks (3 minutes each)
- Amb. Luis Gallegos (By Video)
Chair, Joint Advisory Board, Institute on Disability and Public Policy, American University; Chair, G3ICT; Special Advisor, The Nippon Foundation - Dr. Victor Pineda (By Video)
Chair, International Advisory Board, Institute on Disability and Public Policy, American University; Founder and Executive Director, World Enabled/Pineda Foundation; President, GAATES; Senior Research Fellow and Visiting Scholar, Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, University of California-Berkeley
Presentation of the CRPD Mobile App Beta Version (10 minutes)
- Dr. Derrick L. Cogburn
Executive Director, Institute on Disability and Public Policy, American University; Associate Professor, School of International Service, American University
Significance of the CRPD Mobile App in Commemoration of CRPD+10 (5 minutes)
- DESA/DSPD/SCRPD Representative
Secretariat, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
Impact and Perspectives on Possible Development and Dissemination (5 minutes each)
- Ms. Megan Smith
2030 Agenda Liaison, International Disability Alliance - Mr. Mohammed Ali Loutfy
Executive Director, Disabled People's International - Arab Region and the Arab Forum for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Senior Doctoral Fellow, Institute on Disability and Public Policy, American University - Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter
Director, Institute for Human Rights, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Associate Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Faculty Associate, Institute on Disability and Public Policy, American University
