The Disability Alliance on the SDG Implementation in Bangladesh
Description
This case study outlines how Sightsavers and partners established and supported the Disability Alliance on the SDGs to ensure the voice and participation of people with disabilities in the Bangladesh VNR. It focuses on the specific work of the Alliance and demonstrates how working in partnership to deliver the SDGs can have a positive impact on policy and ensuring that no one is left behind.
In 2017, Bangladesh undertook a Voluntary National Review (VNR), which was presented at the UN High-level Political Forum. This followed the many accolades that Bangladesh earned for its achievements in delivering the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Since then, the Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina outlined a plan to transform Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021, and Bangladesh integrated the 2030 Agenda in its 7th Five Year Plan (2016-2020). The Government adopted a “Whole of Society” approach to ensure wider participation of NGOs, development partners, private sector, media and CSOs to formulate an Action Plan to deliver on the Five Year Plan and implement the SDGs. A ‘SDGs Implementation and Monitoring Cell’ at the Prime Minister’s Office will follow up implementation of the SDGs Action Plan.<br />
The population of Bangladesh includes approximately 16 million people with disabilities ("Disability in Bangladesh". Centre for Disability in Development. "Disability in Bangladesh: A Situation Analysis", World Bank), The Disability Alliance on SDGs was formed in Bangladesh in 2017, to ensure the active engagement of people with disabilities in SDG implementation and monitoring. The concept of the Alliance was inspired in part by the participatory and multi-stakeholder approach promoted as a vital element for success in the attainment of all the SDGs. The Alliance includes 22 prominent national and international Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and NGOs working in the field of disability and development in Bangladesh, whose work aligns with at least one of the SDGs. The members included Access Bangladesh Foundation, ADD International, CBM, Center for Disability in Development, Center for Services and Information on Disability, Disability Research and Rehabilitation Association, HelpAge International, Leonard Cheshire Disability Bangladesh, National Coalition for Disabled Women, National Grassroots Disability Organization, Save the Children and Sightsavers. <br />
The Alliance has been working to promote a comprehensive, SDG-aligned strategy to ensure that the government of Bangladesh achieves the SDGs for people with disabilities, including provision for:<br />
- All government ministries and departments to report on how they are including people with disabilities in implementation, and those with disability programmes are adequately represented on the national body/entity responsible for SDG implementation.<br />
- Disability-related SDGs to be included in the country's development plans (including annual and five-year plans).<br />
- CSOs, especially organisations of and working with persons with disabilities, to participate in all consultative and decision-making processes on the implementation of SDGs.<br />
- Umbrella forums/networks of NGOs working on disability rights to conduct periodic consultations and advocacy with relevant government departments and donor agencies for proper implementation of disability-related SDGs, and align their strategies and programmes with the SDGs.
Methods of engagement and participation: the Alliance conducted and supported consultations of people with disabilities to ensure their perspective was included in the Bangladesh VNR. In addition, working relationships were developed with the government SDG lead and the national CSO umbrella groups.
The Alliance emerged through a series of initial consultations and outreach with like-minded organisations working with disability inclusion to explore collective options for VNR engagement. This effort was led and facilitated by Sightsavers, as convener and secretariat of the Alliance. Alliance members were approached based on their orientation and experience. The Alliance members have worked closely with the government to draft the Disability Rights and Protection Act 2013, rules of business, and implementation plan
The inauguration of the Alliance took place at a seminar held in Dhaka, attended by politicians and representatives of non-governmental organisations, including disabled people’s groups, as well as donor organisations such as USAID. The seminar discussed the VNR, focusing on the situation facing people with disabilities. The 109 participants also heard about initiatives being taken by the government to ensure that people with disabilities are included in the country’s development.
In 2017, the Alliance volunteered to the SDG Coordinator at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to contribute to the preparation of the VNR by the Government of Bangladesh, to highlight issues and concerns of people with disabilities.
The Alliance ensured the engagement of people with disabilities at national-level DPO consultations in Dhaka, followed by three consultations in Narsingdi and Sirajganj districts and Dhaka, with DPO leaders, district level government officials and civil society actors. At Narsingdi, the consultation was locally arranged by a coalition of 25 DPOs. In Sirajganj, the consultation was locally arranged by the ADD International Bangladesh regional office, with the participation of DPO leaders from 11 Union DPOs, one District Federation and one Women Federation. Access Bangladesh Foundation also arranged a large consultation in Dhaka, where all the partners of the Disability Rights Fund attended. In each of the consultations, participating DPO representatives discussed achievements and challenges faced by people with disabilities, and the ways forward, for each of the goals under review. In total, over 250 people with disabilities representing over 100 DPOs and NGOs working in the disability and development arena were directly consulted to produce the report .
The Alliance disseminated the findings and recommendations that emerged from the consultative processes with the government focal points from 46 ministries, along with other stakeholders. Due to the active engagement of the Alliance, and the quality of the position paper and representative input into civil society reporting, the Government of Bangladesh subsequently requested the Alliance to contribute to disability inclusion section for the VNR, which the government presented at the HLPF in 2017.
This scale of engagement with people with disabilities and their representative organisations across Bangladesh required extensive organisation and capacity in terms of resources and effort; it was mainly supported by international NGOs working on disability rights and empowerment and led by a mix of national DPOs and international NGOs. There was some support from the larger Bangladesh Civil Society Platform, who had committed to include parts of the report on disability inclusion in the wider CSO reporting on SDG implementation.
The Alliance continued engaging with disability inclusion in SDG implementation post the VNR. Based on its continuing commitment its membership has expanded to 22 organisations currently.
The Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh is a civil society initiative, taken at the national level, to contribute to the implementation of globally adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Platform was formally launched in June 2016, to track the delivery of the SDGs in Bangladesh and enhance accountability in its implementation; it currently includes 60 Partner Organisations working on SDG issues across the country. The Alliance outreach and engagement with this wider CSO platform working on SDGs was also very important to mainstream disability into broader development conversations and reduce the isolation that the disability sector often functions within. Breaking the traditional silos and ensuring that the inclusive perspective was reflected and supported in the national CSO SDG report underscored the Alliance’s efforts to highlight the concerns of people with disabilities in SDG implementation.
Strong strategy for policy engagement – The Alliance was able to engage effectively and leverage their collective expertise to capitalize on the prevailing climate of political commitment to SDG implementation. They were able to develop a clear set of objectives and strategy towards influencing the government and other key stakeholders.
Strategic use of evidence and grassroots voices - it was very clear that the voices and concerns of rural DPOs were prioritised in the process through the consultations at sub national level. The Alliance ensured that it was not just the representation of expert voices at national level but ground realities at sub national level also that shaped the national disability report.
Strong communication approaches in policy influence work - The Alliance was also able to leverage its collective strengths and credibility in terms of existing relationships with government, proactive outreach with the SDG coordinator at the PMO and mobilizing its extensive grassroots networks of DPOs at sub national level to feed into the process.
Some of the key constraints were limited resources in terms of both funds and time. The actual duration towards inputting into the VNR process was very tight. In addition, there was no real collaboration with other stakeholders like the private sector, media or the donor community.
Members of the Alliance have also attended meetings with the Planning Commission where representatives from all Ministries discussed developing inclusive programmes and budgeting for inclusion in the 8th Five Year National Development Plan in the context of SDG implementation. The Alliance has also increased engagement with the Bangladesh office of the UK Department for International Development and shared their work and efforts. They are able to continue to leverage their collective strengths and engagement with Government. Based on this model, Sightsavers has also encouraged similar processes in other countries, especially Pakistan in the South Asian context, which has worked very successfully so far. In addition, the Alliance shared their approach with Action Aid to help facilitate a similar process to highlight disability inclusion in the VNR process in Vietnam.
For organisations working on disability, the VNR process provide a real breakthrough and entry point into engagement with SDG implementation. While previously the individual organisations who are now part of the Alliance might have been engaging with SDG implementation in a limited fashion or searching for ways to engage, the VNR process provided the perfect opportunity to build collaboration and focus their engagement. <br />
One of the key lessons from the process would be to promote increased support from donors and multilateral organisations, and the wider international community. Donor engagement in this collaborative process would have further enhanced the Alliance’s ability to foster participation amongst under-represented groups, and enhanced trust and constructive relationships with government, private sector and other key stakeholders, for example large NGOs not currently mainstreaming inclusion into their work. Sustained donor support post-VNR would also have strengthened the approach at national level, to ensure momentum towards disability inclusion in SDG implementation and actively contributed to the ongoing process of SDG implementation in Bangladesh. <br />
Mechanisms like the Alliance need to be supported to develop new ways of resource mobilisation, build bridges with other stakeholders like the private sector, multilaterals and academia, to ensure the momentum that they have created is sustained, they are able to respond to shifting realities and new opportunities can be realised.
http://www.daily-sun.com/post/269382/Disability-Alliance-on-SDGs-comes-…
https://www.sightsavers.org/news/2017/11/new-alliance-bangladesh-promot…
http://old.unb.com.bd/bangladesh-news/BD-chapter-of-Disability-Alliance…
https://ngonewsbd.com/tag/disability-alliancedisability-alliance-on-sdg…
https://bdplatform4sdgs.net/issues-concerns-persons-disabilities-vnr/
https://www.facebook.com/ADD.international.Bangladesh/posts/a-seminar-o…
https://www.together2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FINAL-Mapping-o…
http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/global-report-vnr-proces…
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- Asia and Pacific
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Andrew Griffiths, Head of Advocacy