WAAD 2018: Autistic women and girls /  by Erich Kofmel

The United Nations has announced the theme for this year's UN World Autism Awareness Day, 2 April 2018: "Empowering Women and Girls with Autism"

http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/

They write: "In November 2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution drawing attention to the particular challenges that women and girls with disabilities face in the context of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The resolution expresses concern that women and girls with disabilities, are subject to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, which limit their enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

"The 2018 World Autism Awareness Day observance at United Nations Headquarters New York will focus on the importance of empowering women and girls with autism and involving them and their representative organizations in policy and decision making to address these challenges.

"Girls with disabilities are less likely to complete primary school and more likely to be marginalized or denied access to education. Women with disabilities have a lower rate of employment than men with disabilities and women without disabilities. Globally, women are more likely to experience physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence than men, and women and girls with disabilities experience gender-based violence at disproportionately higher rates and in unique forms owing to discrimination and stigma based on both gender and disability. As a result of inaccessibility and stereotyping, women and girls with disabilities are persistently confronted with barriers to sexual and reproductive health services and to information on comprehensive sex education, particularly women and girls with intellectual disabilities including autism.

"Through dynamic moderated discussions with experts and advocates, the observance will examine the particular challenges that women and girls with autism face in this context.

"Other key issues to be addressed include challenges and opportunities in fully exercising rights in matters relating to marriage, family and parenthood on an equal basis with others, as underscored in Article 23 of the CRPD and in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders at the United Nations in 2015 (SDG 5.6)."

Events at UN Headquarters in New York will take place only on 5 April (2 April being Easter Monday). Disappointing that once more they chose as a theme something that fits into the larger UN agenda on people with disabilities, rather than something autism-specific. Let's hope autistic women who are invited to speak at the UN will point out areas in which they are affected more or differently than other girls and women with disabilities and/or people with disabilities in general, for example Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) "therapies" that condition autistic girls to become compliant and thus more prone to sexual abuse.

The programme hasn't been announced yet, but if you are planning to be in New York, you can already RSVP.

CONF: Participation in public affairs /  by Erich Kofmel

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to develop guidelines on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs, including action-oriented ideas on how to make this right real for autistic persons and other persons with disabilities.

They will be holding an informal regional consultation for Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Other States (normally meaning Israel, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) at UN headquarters (Palais des Nations) in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9-10 April 2018. It is open to all civil society representatives, but no funding is available.

Register here: https://reg.unog.ch/event/23498/

Deadline: 30 March 2018

CONF: Affordable and decent housing /  by Erich Kofmel

In 2014, Autistic Minority International participated in the negotiation of the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing, and as the only disabled persons' organization in the room, we ensured the inclusion of persons with disabilities in this important document.

The responsible Committee on Housing and Land Management of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) now describes itself as working "to promote [...] adequate housing, including for those with special needs and vulnerable population groups [...] This work is based on key United Nations policy documents on housing and urban development, including, Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing" (https://www.unece.org/housing/viennaconference2018).

The Charter is available in many European languages (including English, French, German, Spanish, etc.) here:

https://www.unece.org/housing/charter.html

Geneva UN Charter Centres have already been established in Tallinn, Estonia, and Glasgow, UK.

UNECE and the City of Vienna, Austria, are now organizing the Vienna Conference on Sustainable Housing "Promoting access to affordable and decent housing through the implementation of the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing", on 12-13 April 2018, at the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV, 12 April) and City Hall of Vienna (13 April).

https://www.unece.org/housing/viennaconference2018.html

Rationale: "The Conference will discuss the progress in achieving access to affordable and decent housing for all through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, the New Urban Agenda and the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing by national governments, local authorities and relevant stakeholders."

The conference is open to the participation of NGOs and civil society from the UNECE region (which includes USA, Canada, Israel, and central Asian countries).

Languages: English, German and Russian

Deadline for registration: 4 April 2018

WHO seeks Director of Mental Health /  by Erich Kofmel

The World Health Organization is seeking a new Director for its Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

https://tl-ex.vcdp.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=1800824

The current Director is collaborating closely with controversial US charity Autism Speaks, which seeks to extend its influence globally through what they call the Global Autism Public Health Initiative. As you will know, Autism Speaks is boycotted by most actually autistic persons.

The WHO has accepted at least one million US dollars in funding from Autism Speaks, organized a global autism consultation at WHO headquarters that was jointly hosted by Autism Speaks and included many of their allies, but not a single autistic person, and he's sitting on the Global Action Committee of Autism Speaks.

If these links can be severed, or at least weakened, with the appointment of a new Director that would potentially make it possible to shift the WHO's focus and perception on autism.

So, if you know anyone who might be suitable for this position, and is accepting of autistic persons and would be seeking our input, not just that of non-autistic "experts", and is generally in favour of deinstitutionalization and mental health reform, please forward the job advertisement to them.

Closing date is 15 April 2018.

UN accreditations past and future /  by Erich Kofmel

Next week (4-5 February 2014) Autistic Minority International will be participating in a workshop on "The Future of Social Housing: Environmental and Social Challenges and the Way Forward", organized in Geneva by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in cooperation with the European Federation of Public, Cooperative and Social Housing. Any input on social housing issues affecting autistics, and received preferably prior to the workshop, will be greatly appreciated. Contact: geneva@autisticminority.org

Autistic Minority International was also accredited to the following five UN system and related meetings and conferences, all taking place in Geneva: 2013 United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights (2-4 December 2013) and Sixth Session of the Forum on Minority Issues (26-27 November 2013), both under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC); Panel Discussions on Minority Issues on occasion of the launching of the OHCHR publication "Promoting and Protecting Minority Rights – A Guide For Advocates", organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (28 November 2013); Third Health Promotion Forum "Building Capacity for Health Promotion: Inter-sectoral Partnerships between Civil Society and Government" of the Alliance for Health Promotion, organized at the World Health Organization in collaboration with the WHO and the University of Geneva (29 November 2013); and Sixth High-level Symposium on Global Health Diplomacy "Health Diplomacy Meets Science Diplomacy", organized by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in cooperation with the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (12 November 2013).

For a regularly updated list of conferences we took part in as well as links to statements we made orally at or submitted in writing to such conferences, please visit:

www.autisticminority.org/united-nations-conferences

Call for comments on CRPD drafts /  by Erich Kofmel

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), one of the human rights treaty bodies, invites all interested stakeholders to comment on two initial Draft General Comments, adopted in September 2013 during the Committee's 10th session: Draft General Comment on Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Recognition before the Law) and Draft General Comment on article 9 of the Convention (Accessibility).

These initial drafts are the outcome of an extensive consultation process, which has involved a Day of General Discussion on each subject as well as a high number of submissions from persons with disabilities, disabled people's organizations (DPOs), national human rights institutions, and other stakeholders. The resulting initial drafts, prepared incorporating the various perspectives from all contributions, are now available for comment.

Member states, national human rights institutions and independent monitoring mechanisms under art. 33.2 of the Convention, DPOs and persons with disabilities, NGOs, research institutions, and academics are invited to provide their comments in writing to: crpd@ohchr.org

If the submission relates to the Draft General Comment No. 1 (2013) on Equal Recognition before the Law, the subject matter of the e-mail should indicate: Submission related to the Draft General Comment No. 1 on Article 12.

If the submission relates to the Draft General Comment No. 2 (2013) on Accessibility, the subject matter of the e-mail should indicate: Submission related to the Draft General Comment No. 2 on Article 9.

All submissions should be in one of the languages of the CRPD secretariat, English, French, or Spanish, be no more than 6 pages long (in the case of coalitions of DPOs or NGOs submissions may be 12 pages long), be sent in Word 97-2003 format, and suggest possible recommendations to facilitate the work of the Committee.

Comments must be submitted by 28 February 2014. Strict respect for this (twice extended) deadline will ensure the Committee's attention to the submitted documents.

All submissions will be posted on the webpage dedicated to the Draft General Comments. Comments will be taken into account in updating the Draft General Comments, which will be considered by the CRPD at its next session in April 2014.

Only English versions of the Draft General Comments are currently available for download.

Draft General Comment on Article 12 on Equal Recognition before the Law:

www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CRPD/GC/DGCArticle12.doc

Draft General Comment on Article 9 on Accessibility:

www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CRPD/GC/DGCArticle9.doc

Autistic Minority International will be preparing submissions on both Draft General Comments. We strongly encourage other autism self-advocacy organizations to do the same. To discuss and exchange views, or if you are interested in a joint submission with us, please contact: geneva@autisticminority.org

Consultation on fiscal and tax policy /  by Erich Kofmel

Many autistics live in poverty.

In preparation of a forthcoming thematic report to the 26th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2014, the UN's Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, invites civil society organizations, including autistic self-advocacy groups from anywhere in the world and disabled people's organizations, to submit contributions on the human rights impact of fiscal and tax policy.

Please refer to the questionnaire below, available in English, French, or Spanish, for more details. It is not necessary to reply in full to all the questions. Partial responses are also welcome and will be helpful in collecting views of civil society on policies and practices in various countries.

English:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H3uk028y4T09FC216u8s7hcOcujHIrSP27jGyiAKL0w/edit

Français:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XUJ0SW4C68emQtY0o0X0E2MTg/edit

Español:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XUJ0SW4C68UjVCVWoydWZwaXc/edit

The Special Rapporteur also welcomes the submission of research studies or reports on this topic, particularly those examining how fiscal and tax policies impact the human rights of persons living in poverty.

Please send your contributions, in English, Spanish, or French, as a Word document, PDF, or in a compatible format no later than 20 December 2013 (extended deadline) to: srextremepoverty@ohchr.org

Autistic Minority International will be glad to assist any national or local autism self-advocacy groups who might wish to respond. Please contact: geneva@autisticminority.org