International Disability Alliance IDA 2020-2023 (2024) (2025)

Key achievements include as presented in the annual report for 2024: IDA delivered meaningful progress across all three of its strategic pillars: Global Advocacy and Normative Influence In a year marked by democratic regression and shrinking civic space, IDA led sustained advocacy to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities were visible and prioritized in global decision-making. -IDA played a central role in strengthening disability language across major UN resolutions on peace and security, education, humanitarian response, gender equality, and health. -Through active engagement in forums such as the UN Security Council, Human Rights Council, and General Assembly, IDA helped secure accountability mechanisms for inclusive peacebuilding and crisis response. -At COP29, IDAs leadership ensured disability inclusion in key climate finance and adaptation commitments. -The Solfagnano Charter, developed during the G7 Inclusion and Disability Summit with IDAs support, marks a new era of international commitment to CRPD-aligned policy. Movement Strengthening and OPD Leadership -In 2024, IDA provided support to 163 OPDs, with a deliberate focus on women-led, youth-led, and underrepresented groups. -Through the Bridge CRPD-SDGs initiative, regional and national cycles enabled OPDs to connect international standards to local advocacy, while the Training of Trainers model created a multiplier effect across grassroots movements. -A new online platform offering accessible self-paced courses extended IDAs reach to over 1,200 new learners, including in marginalized areas. -The Peoples Assembly at COSP17 set a new benchmark for inclusive global convening, driven by grassroots voices from over 70 countries. Knowledge Generation and Global Influence -IDA developed 84 knowledge products, contributing evidence and analysis across legal capacity, inclusive education, assistive technology, disability-inclusive financing, and humanitarian standards. -Major contributions to upcoming global reportsincluding the Global Disability Inclusion Report and CRPD treaty body standardsposition IDA as a thought leader and technical expert in the field. Governance Reform and Gender-Transformative Change One of IDAs most important milestones in 2024 was its comprehensive governance reform, following external reviews by KPMG and EY (commissioned by Sida). These efforts led to a new constitution, a two-tier governance model, and significant improvements in financial oversight and organizational transparency. Importantly, these changes are already bearing fruit in terms of representation. As part of the recent expansion of IDAs General Assembly, nine new women leaders were elected to represent their OPDs, bringing the Assembly to full gender parity. This marks a transformative shift and creates a strong pipeline of women candidates for leadership roles across the governance structure. According to IDA, Sidas sustained partnership over the past 18 months has directly supported IDAs efforts to elevate women with disabilities into leadership, strengthen representative governance, and make the disability movement more inclusive and accountable. This investment has created lasting structural change that will continue to deliver results well into the future.

The overall objective and long term goal of the International Disability Alliance (IDA) is to ensure that "the rights of persons with disabilities are advanced by Member States, the UN and international cooperation stakeholders across human rights, development, peace and security agendas, in partnership with and through meaningful engagement of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities technically equipped to frame, deliver and monitor policies and programs that affect their lives." The purpose of IDAs work is to ensure that Capacities and commitments of Member States, the UN and international cooperation stakeholders are strengthened, and their investment in and meaningful engagement with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) is increased, resulting in higher OPDs capacities to represent the diversity of persons with disabilities, to technically advise as well as hold all stakeholders accountable on the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities. Specifically, regarding the 12.1 MSEK cost extension for 2025, the focus be on the below strategic priorities, structured around three pillars and two thematic areas as mentioned in the previous section and thus not repeated here. In terms of specific activities these are accounted for henceforth. Key Activities: 1. Humanitarian Action and Crisis Response -Strengthen the Disability Reference Group (DRG) within the IASC structure and advance the implementation and impact measurement of the IASC Guidelines for Inclusive Humanitarian Response. -Advocate for greater disability inclusion in the cluster system and humanitarian coordination mechanisms. -Collaborate with OCHA to ensure inclusive humanitarian response and reconstruction efforts. -Develop and deliver OPD-led training for humanitarian response teams to ensure accessible and inclusive humanitarian action. -Develop toolkits and training modules for OPDs to engage effectively with humanitarian actors. -Ensure the implementation of Article 11 of the CRPD (situations of risk) and address crimes against humanity involving persons with disabilities. -Engage with the UN Security Council and the UN Peacebuilding Commission on peacebuilding and accountability for persons with disabilities under UNSC2475, with a focus on Ukraine. -Conduct field research and case studies on disability inclusion in humanitarian response. -Monitor and document violations of disability rights in conflict and disaster settings. -Develop policy briefs and recommendations on disability-inclusive reconstruction and peacebuilding. -Advocate for disability-inclusive provisions in peace negotiations and reconstruction efforts. 2. Health Equity and Inclusive Health Systems -Lead representation of persons with disabilities in WHOs Global Health Equity Platform, ensuring OPD participation in shaping global health policies and implementation. -Collaborate with WHO on national-level health-systems strengthening. -Develop and deliver OPD-led training for health workers on disability-inclusive health service delivery. -Secure OPD engagement in the Lancet Commission on Disability and Health (if funding permits). -Promote disability-inclusive approaches to maternal and reproductive health programs. -Launch a global program to mentor and train women with disabilities in health equity advocacy. -Organize regional consultations with women-led OPDs on barriers in health systems. -Publish OPD-led advocacy papers on intersectional discrimination in healthcare against women and girls with disabilities. 3. Human Rights & Disability-Inclusive Development -Advocate for OPD perspectives in the World Social Summit and financing for development. -Influence the review of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS), ensuring consultation and participation of OPDs. -Ensure the UN system responds to the needs and priorities of OPDs through the UNGA, Human Rights Council, and treaty body system. -Publish a CRPD 20th Anniversary Report assessing its impact on persons with disabilities. -Conduct a global mapping of progress on key human rights issues: the right to life for persons with disabilities, legal capacity, deinstitutionalization, forced sterilization, and protection from torture, violence, and abuse. -Continue global OPD-led campaigns against forced sterilization, institutionalization, and violence against women and children with disabilities. -Conduct bi-monthly inclusive workshops with IDAs 14 members to collect advocacy priorities and provide training. -Ensure meaningful OPD participation in key international forums, including: CRPD Conference of States Parties; Human Rights Council; High-Level Political Forum; World Health Assembly; and, Commission on the Status of Women. -Participate in treaty negotiations, including: World Health Assembly Pandemic Treaty; Crimes Against Humanity Treaty; and, Rights of Older Persons Treaty. 4. OPD Movement Strengthening and Capacity Building -Develop and expand IDAs e-learning platform for OPDs on human rights advocacy. -Implement a next-generation OPD leadership mentoring program in collaboration with UNICEF, targeting 60 leaders across six UN regions. -Strengthen women-led OPDs and provide leadership capacity-building for women with disabilities. -Revitalize the Indigenous Disability Network. -Implement an OPD organizational capacity-building initiative for all IDA members, focusing on governance, financial sustainability, and risk management. -Hold regional training programs focused on humanitarian action, crisis response, health equity, and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) across the world including in a focus on Ukrainian OPDs in humanitarian response, accountability, and reconstruction.