A) Objectifs de l’engagement
Taking into account the specific barriers and risks faced by persons with disabilities when interpreting and implementing international humanitarian law and advancing disability inclusive humanitarian assistance
This pledge is related to the spotlight session entitled “Promoting disability-inclusive interpretations and implementation of international humanitarian law in complementarity with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”
Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, including the rights of women and girls with disabilities, is a long-standing priority in Finland’s foreign and security policy, development policy and humanitarian assistance. Finland supports and advocates for the participation of organizations of persons with disabilities in global, regional and national level decision-making processes to better take into account the specific barriers and risks faced by persons with disabilities in crisis situations. Supporting and advocating for disability inclusion in humanitarian action is at the heart of principled humanitarian action and helping persons most in need. Finland supports all of its partners to implement, develop and lead in disability inclusion in their humanitarian aid to affected persons and communities.
Inclusion is one of Finnish Red Cross’s international aid’s four strategic drivers, and disability inclusion has been decided to receive special focus from the start of implementing the strategy. Disability inclusion is an important cross-cutting theme in the FRC programme for long-term support to our partner National Societies, supported by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2022–2025. However, everyone at the FRC international aid has a shared responsibility for disability mainstreaming. To amplify the voice of persons with disabilities, FRC has partnered with the Abilis Foundation, an organization led by persons with disabilities, since 2015. This collaboration aims to enhance disability inclusion and empower individuals with disabilities within FRC’s work, leveraging support from Abilis and its extensive network of partners. In 2022, FRC signed a four-year agreement with Abilis Consulting and CBM Inclusion Advisory Group to further bolster disability inclusion in FRC’s new program 2022-2025.
B) Plan d’action
We, the Government of Finland and the Finnish Red Cross, according to their respective competences, jointly pledge to undertake the following actions by the year 2028:
A) To bring the issue of IHL and persons with disabilities before the national IHL committee and encourage participation by persons with disabilities in the national IHL committee through their representative organizations.
B) To integrate disability inclusion into operational humanitarian activities by seeking to ensure the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities to incorporate their perspectives in the design, implementation, monitoring and review of humanitarian responses. This can also include data disaggregation, cooperation with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, specific grants and/or budgets for disability inclusion, and dedicated technical staff or focal points, and training of staff.
C) Indicateurs permettant de mesurer les avancées:
1. Number of national IHL committee meetings attended by persons with disabilities/their representative organizations.
2. Advocacy processes to promote as well as budget allocated and spent in the design and implementation of disability-inclusive humanitarian activities.
3. Annual reports by humanitarian organizations on the institutional progress on disability inclusion
D) Ressources nécessaires:
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