Rule 21.Technical and economic cooperation

• For donors countries and international development organisms

  • Measures to achieve the equalization of opportunities of persons with disabilities, should be integrated into general development programmes
  • Such measures must be integrated into all forms of technical and economic cooperation, bilateral and multilateral, government and non-governmental
  • special attention should be given to the effects of such programmes of the situation of persons with disabilities
  • Participation of persons with disabilities and their organizations

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In developing countries, international technical and economic cooperation are among the main sources of resources and knowledge for improvement at the national level. Most technical cooperation has not taken the needs of persons with disabilities into account. Rule 21 seeks to address this by urging donor countries and international development organizations like UNDP and the World Bank to include measures to achieve equalization of opportunities. As in the case with national policies, the Rule suggests that the measures be “mainstreamed” – i.e. fully integrated – into the development cooperation programs. It also says that the effect of programs on persons with disabilities should be built into the program design and appraisal process and that persons with disabilities and their organizations should be consulted.