Addis Ababa, 29 March 2018 - A three - day training on Disability Mainstreaming and Implementation of the Continental Plan of Action on the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2010-2019) for Regional Economic Communities’ Officials, AUC Departments and Directorates, AU Regional Offices and AU Organs was successfully concluded today at Capital Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Organised by the African Union Commission (AUC), the training that was conducted under the theme “Mainstreaming Disability in Development Policy and Programming” mainly targeted AU policy and decision makers and equipped them with skills and knowledge to mainstream disability for inclusive development in their respective organizations.

During the training sessions presentations were made on disability as a global development and human rights issue and an evolving concept; disability mainstreaming; protection of disability rights under the African Regional system; disability in the AU Agenda 2063 and SDG; AU organs and RECs planning for disability-inclusive development and sustainable networking and Partnership International development corporation. In depth discussion on thematic areas and networking between Organizations of Persons with Disabilities with RECS, AU organs and Special Offices on inclusion of disability were prominent activities of the training.

At the end of the three -days training, participants gained substantive understanding of disability as a global development and human rights issue; committed themselves to apply the provisions of the Continental Plan of Action on the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2010-2019), UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the recently adopted Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa and other Human Rights Instruments into national policies and programmes.

Participants were drawn from AU RECs, AU Organs, AU Regional Offices, AUC Departments and Directorates. Guest speakers, presenters and some participants were also drawn from various national disability movements and Partners, notably, GIZ and UNDP based in Ethiopia.

Media Contact:

Esther Azaa Tankou / Head of Information Division / E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org / Tel: +251911361185 / Rahel Akalewold, DIC , E-mail: RahelA@africa-union.org

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.africa I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia