The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS), launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2019, requires all UN entities to ensure that disability inclusion is consistently and systematically mainstreamed into all aspects of their operational and programmatic work. To implement the UNDIS at WHO, in 2020, the DG launched the WHO Policy on Disability, and set-up structures at WHO to support its implementation. 
In 2021, Resolution WHA74.8 on the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities requested WHO to implement the UNDIS across all levels of the Organization to ensure that disability considerations are systematically integrated into all areas of WHO’s work. A WHO UNDIS Action Plan was developed at the headquarters in line with the monitoring and reporting UNDIS Accountability Framework. The WHO UNDIS Action Plan includes 16 performance indicators rated according to a graduated scale, identifies custodian departments responsible for each indicator, and sets baselines and targets against which to track progress.
Under each indicator, the responsible custodian departments list activities to achieve the targets, and report back to the WHO Director General via the UNDIS Steering Committee, to inform Member States and the UN Secretary General.
In SEARO, work has already progressed well on implementation of the UNDIS, including the formation of the WHO SEAR UNDIS Steering and Working group and conduct of its two joint meetings, chaired by DPM SEARO. The 2nd joint meeting of the WHO SEAR UNDIS steering committee & working group held on 27th September 2023, directed the UNDIS secretariat to organise a regional, all country webinar to be organized on UNDIS for staff capacity building. In this regard a regional webinar is proposed with the following objectives.
Objectives
- The main objectives of the webinar were to:
- provide an overview of the UNDIS implementation and actions at WHO for SEAR Staff
- share key developments in UNDIS implementation and WHO policies and processes
- orient SEAR Staff to UNDIS resources
Way Forward
- Mainstream disability inclusion in your areas of work be it programmatic or business operations
- Understand and implement disability inclusion across programmes, not as a specialized area of work
- Support MoH to mainstream disability inclusion across health sector
- Ensure accessibility of meetings, infrastructure, and information technology
- Build relationships with representative organizations of persons with disabilities, including as part of CO engagements and investments
- Work with UN partners working in the health sector to implement the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy
- Support inclusion of disability marker in the pragmatic accountability framework
Meetng recording link:
Passcode: ha5i1b+K