Since the last Board meeting, two International Watch Federal Advisory Committee conference calls were held on May 4 and July 8, 2004. Topics included NCD's meeting with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); USAID's meeting at NCD on construction access standards; the 8th International Children's Congress in Stavanger, Norway; and advice regarding future NCD foreign policy work. The July 8 call included discussion of NCD's meeting with the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation; an update on the 3rd Ad hoc Committee meeting on the International Convention; and an update on the proposed State Department Federal Advisory Committee on disability.

Update on Foreign Assistance:

We continue to follow up on NCD's Foreign Policy and Disability Report. NCD staff met with Paul Grove in Senator McConnell's office and Tim Rieser in Senator Leahy's office to discuss the report's recommendations. NCD staff also met with a representative from Landmine Survivors Network's Bosnia and Herzegovina office, and a delegation from Croatia to discuss NCD's foreign policy work.

Lex Frieden, Kathy Martinez, and NCD staff met with Paul Applegarth, CEO of the new Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) on July 22, just prior to the Board meeting. We plan to discuss how NCD can be of assistance as the MCC implements the disability inclusion criterion required to receive Millennium Challenge Account funds.

NCD staff met with Senator Harkin's staff to discuss the State Department's plans to create a Federal Advisory Committee on disability at the Department and were asked to review the proposed Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) charter. We followed up by drafting a letter to Secretary Powell commending the Department for proposing the Committee and encouraging the Department to use NCD as a resource as they move forward. Following NCD's letter, the State Department and USAID requested a list of potential nominees for the new Federal Advisory Committee. Per the request, NCD sent a letter to Secretary Powell with a list of nominees.

NCD met with USAID on June 17 to discuss draft construction standards for overseas development work required by legislation to be inclusive of people with disabilities.

Update on the International Convention

NCD sent a letter to Secretary Powell urging the inclusion of people with disabilities on the US delegation to the 3rd Ad hoc Committee meeting.

NCD's summer intern, Kerry Lida, drafted a convention update that included responses to queries about the convention and the Ad hoc Committee meeting from four renowned international disability experts: Janet Lord of Landmine Survivors Network; Charlotte McClain, South African Human Rights Commission; Sheikha Hissa, the Special Rapporteur on Disability at the United Nations; and Celia Brown, National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy. NCD staff met with a representative from the International Disability Outreach Foundation to discuss NCD's foreign policy work on June 28th.