The 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) took place in Addis Ababa from 13 to 16 July 2015, organized by the United Nations. Participants in the Conference included high-level political representatives, including Heads of State and Government, and Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, as well as all relevant institutional stakeholders, NGOs and business sector entities.

Inclusion Africa Coordinator Shikuku Obosi, and Board member Auberon Jeleel, participated in the conference. As part of the disability groups represented at the conference, Shikuku’s and Jeleel’s participation alongside other civil society organizations was essential in keeping momentum going to ensure people with disabilities, alongside other marginalized groups, are not left behind during a tough week of negotiations.

The FFD3 builds on the 2002 Monterrey Consensus and the 2008 Doha Declaration and takes into account the need to support the UN development agenda beyond 2015 and the interrelationship of all sources of development finance. Civil society moved issues like aid, tax collection, private sector accountability and transparency up the agenda of governments.

Addis Ababa Action Agenda

The Conference resulted in an intergovernmentally negotiated and agreed economic framework, Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) that creates a foundation for implementing the sustainable development goals that will be adopted in New York in September 2015. The AAAA, which has 100 measures covering 7 action areas contains 6 explicit references to disability and persons with disabilities and will shape development finance for the next 15 years.

Leading to the review action of the outcome document in 1 year at the UN Economic and Social Council Inclusion Africa will:

1. Partner with other disability groups to ensure disability, alongside other marginalized groups, is stronger in the framework, including disaggregation of data by disability.
2. Partner with large mainstream development organizations that are working on financing for development issues to research and monitor what is happening at the country level and ensure people with disabilities are not left behind
3. Sensitize IA members on financing for development issues and build their capacity of its members to monitor public contracts, ensuring for instance, that accessibility is a criterion in ICT projects.

Links

1. Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3)
2. Outcome Document: Addis Ababa Action Agenda (16 July 2015)
3. Civil Society: CSO FfD Forum Declaration (12 July 2015)
4. Disability-specific references in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda
5. IDA & IDDC press release
6. FFD3 Press release