Pre-qualification of Individual Consultants (ICs) and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and Vendors/Suppliers providing Sign Language Interpretation Services (Албания - Тендер #68967575)

In line with the United Nations commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and the principle of leaving no one behind, ensuring effective communication for deaf persons and persons with hearing impairments is essential across all UN events and engagements. This Terms of Reference (ToR) establishes the framework for pre-qualifying Individual Consultants (ICs), Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and suppliers/vendors to provide high-quality sign language interpretation services to support this mandate.

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN Member States reaffirmed their pledge to include persons with disabilities in all aspects of development. The UN system is operationalizing this commitment through both external programming and internal reforms, notably via the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS). The strategy includes an accountability framework that requires entities and country teams to embed disability inclusion systematically.

A cornerstone of this effort is the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, as mandated by Article 4.3 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This article obliges States and development actors to closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities in decision-making processes. This requirement is further reinforced in Indicator 5 of both the UNDIS Entity Accountability Framework and the UN Country Team (UNCT) Scorecard on Disability Inclusion, which highlight the cross-cutting importance of systematic consultation and engagement with organizations of persons with disabilities.

Globally, there are more than 70 million deaf people, with over 80% living in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD). In India, the Census 2011 recorded approximately 1.3 million persons with hearing disabilities, although estimates by organizations such as the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) suggest a significantly higher number often cited as up to 5 million (50 lakh) due to underreporting and definitional challenges.

Sign language is a vital communication medium for the deaf community. In India, Indian Sign Language (ISL) is widely used, while International Sign Language (IS) is typically used in international forums. The CRPD (Articles 2, 9, 21, 24, and 30) explicitly recognizes the importance of sign language and obliges State Parties to facilitate the learning and use of sign language and ensure the availability of qualified interpreters where needed.

To operationalize these commitments under the UNDIS and to support the implementation of the UN India Business Operations Strategy (BOS), the UN Country Team aims to pre-qualify a pool of professional sign language interpreters, including individuals, OPDs, and vendors/suppliers, to ensure full and effective participation of deaf persons and persons with hearing and speech impairments in all UN activities in India.

The objective is to