On January 12^th, the International Disability Alliance (IDA)​ held an online meeting (in English and Spanish) on the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development encourages member states to “conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels, which are country-led and country-driven” (paragraph 79). These national reviews are expected to serve as a basis for the regular reviews by the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

During IDA's e-meeting, the participants were presented with information about the participation of persons with disabilities at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2016, the importance of connecting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), as well as information about HLPF 2017.

The following recommendations were made for National Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) on how to engage and prepare to participate in the national review process:

1)  Identification and establishment of collaboration among national DPOs and NGOs advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities.

2)  Defining advocacy messages, and addressing how to achieve the SDGs for persons with disabilities in the given national context.

3)  Reaching out to government focal points asking for dates and times of national consultations, and to share the advocacy messages.

4)  In case there is any obstacle to the engagement in the national consultation, we urge you to reach out for support to the focal points of this group.

IDA has also created different working groups to facilitate the collaboration of DPOs in their preparation for the Voluntary National Reviews and the HLPF. To learn more about the working groups, please contact José​ Viera at jose.viera@wbu.ngo. For recordings of the e-meeting, please visit the IDA HLPF Stakeholder Group page.

Below is a list of IDA's useful links and resources for the 2030 Agenda: 

• A complete guide to the 2030 Agenda​ and how to implement it in line with the UN CRPD
  
• A very useful submission made to the HLPF in 2016 on behalf of persons with disabilities
• IDA's "Leave No One Behind" HLPF 2016 Position Paper by persons with disabilities ​