Agenda 22 - Putting Teeth in the Standard Rules
By Michele Morgan, Rehabilitation International Program Coordinator (Michele@rehab-international.org)
With the Second Ad Hoc Meeting on a United Nations (UN) Disability Convention approaching in June 2003, disability and human rights are hot topics. The convention process though is likely to be a slow one and a legal agreement on the rights of people with disabilities may not come to fruition for several years. In the meantime, Agenda 22, a practical policy implementation tool that can help UN member countries create policies and programs that take into consideration the human rights of people with disabilities, is gaining credence and popularity in many European countries.
The idea behind Agenda 22 grew from the 1993 adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities of Persons with Disabilities, a political and moral guideline that aims to secure the rights of all persons with disabilities to the same opportunities as other citizens.
Efforts to strengthen the Standard Rules
Lacking legal force, the Standard Rules are limited in their effectiveness. In an effort to strengthen the impact of the UN guidelines, ensure that information is disseminated and that local disability policy planning adheres to the principles outlined in the 22 provisions of the Standards Rules, the Swedish Disability Federation in 1996 created a method for implementing these rules called Agenda 22.
At first, local authorities were targeted since often they are the ones responsible for services such as housing, education and medical care, which impact the daily life of people with disabilities. More recently, the aim of Agenda 22 has been to assist authorities on all different levels in society to draw up strong disability policy plans based on the Standard Rules.
According to Maryanne Ronnersten of the Swedish Disability Federation (HSO) Agenda 22 is "built on the conviction that systemic planning is the most effective way to eliminate all the obstacles that persons with disabilities meet."
Three parts of Agenda 22
Founded on certain principles, including: the equal worth and rights of people with disabilities; the idea that people are different and therefore have different needs of support from society and that those supports are not a privilege but a right; and, finally, that organizations of people with disabilities must be accepted as experts in matters that affect their life, Agenda 22 consists of three parts.
The first part of Agenda 22 states that a comprehensive disability plan:
- Is produced in close cooperation with local organizations of people with disabilities with future cooperation described in the plan;
- Weaves disability aspects into all planning and activities from the very beginning of any product whether it is a disability-focused project or not;
- Pays special attention to women and children, since they tend to be especially vulnerable groups;
- Uses the local authority to act as a good example;
- Determines specific long-term objectives and measures for implementation; and
- Includes a method of evaluation and review.
The second part highlights the importance of equal-partner organizations, namely that representatives from organizations of people with disabilities should take part in every aspect of any process that affects them, from planning to the final product.
The third part focuses on methods of working (i.e., ways to move from an idea to an actual plan). In order to accomplish this, two different inventories must be taken. First, certain questions need to be answered, including: What is the current situation for people with disabilities? What resources are available from governmental authorities? And, how do authorities live up to the UN Standard Rules at present? Second, an inventory must be made of the kinds of public services people with disabilities need. These surveys are best carried out by directly communicating with the local community.
The in end, proponents of Agenda 22 hope that by creating a framework, where the community and the local authority work together to assess the current situation, available resources and needed services, comprehensive and effective disability policy plans based on the Standard Rules will be developed.
Due to its success in Sweden, Agenda 22 has spread to other countries in Europe. In 2001, a European conference on Agenda 22 led to the translation of materials on the implementation method into a variety of languages. Local authorities in 13 countries, including: Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Germany, Poland, Estonia and the Netherlands, expressed interest in bringing Agenda 22 to their countries.
The European Disability Forum (EDF), a federation of organizations involved in the European disability movement, has shown great interest in Agenda 22 and is working with the Swedish Disability Federation and the Dutch Council of People with Disabilities, a Rehabilitation International member organization, to jointly coordinate the implementation of the method in the whole of Europe. This plan will be discussed at the next EDF General Assembly meeting in Athens, Greece, in May 2003.
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