Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE)

Published 9th December 2015

During the United Nations General Assembly on Disability and Development (HLMDD) on 23 September 2013, key stakeholders at the side event, Assistive Technology Opens Doors, requested that WHO develop and lead a global initiative to realize several articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) related to the provision of Assistive Technology; specifically article 32 - International cooperation on Assistive Technology.

To realize this mandate, WHO has agreed to develop a Flagship programme – Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) in partnership with the Assistive Technology (AT) stakeholders representing international organizations, donor agencies, professional organizations, academia and consumer groups.

GATE initiative has only one goal – to improve access to high-quality affordable Assistive Products, responding to the call to increase access to essential, high-quality, safe, effective and affordable medical products, one of the six WHO leadership priorities.

Core functions of the GATE initiative are as follows:

• Engaging in partnerships to promote Assistive Technology (AT) and providing leadership;
• Stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge related to AT;
• Articulating ethical and evidence-based Policies/Norms/Guidelines/Best practices through an impartial global knowledge hub;
• Setting policy, norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation;
• Shaping the AT research agenda and promoting research initiatives;
• Encouraging innovation in developing high-quality affordable Assistive Products;
• Providing technical support, catalysing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity within the field of AT.