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REPORT ON HIGH-LEVEL INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETING ON THE MIDPOINT REVIEW OF THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC DECADE OF DISABLED PERSONS, 2003-2012

BY MR. PT LIM, HONORARY TREASURER, APDF

I. Introduction

  1. The High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012, was organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand from 19 to 21 September 2007 to:
    • " Review the progress and challenges in implementing the Biwako Millenium Framework for Action (BMF); and
    • " Consider and adopt the "Biwako Plus Five: Further Efforts towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific", a supplement to the BMF.
  2. The Meeting was attended by high-level representatives of the following ESCAP members and associate members: Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; Democratic People's Republic of Korea; India; Indonesia; Islamic Republic of Iran; Japan; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; the Philippines; the Republic of Korea; Russian Federation; Sri Lanka; Thailand; United States of America; Vanuatu; Viet Nam; Cook Islands; and Hong Kong, China.
  3. The following offices of the United Nations, United Nations bodies and specialized agencies were represented: Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Population Fund, the International Labour Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and World Health Organization.
  4. The Pacific Islands Forum, an intergovernmental organization, was represented.
  5. Many NGOs, including those in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and those accredited by virtue of participation in the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities were represented at the Meeting. These included the Japanese Disability Forum (JDF) represented by Professor Ryo Matsui and the Asia Pacific Disability Forum (APDF) represented by Mr. PT Lim who presented statements during the plenary sessions of the meeting.

II. Opening of the Meeting

  1. In his opening address, Mr. Shigeru Mochida, the Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCAP highlighted the crucial partnership of all stakeholders, which was essential for the promotion of the full participation and equality of persons with disabilities. He referred to the various ESCAP reviews on progress towards the targets of the BMF, which showed that there was overall improvement in all the priority categories in the Framework since the inception of the Decade.
  2. A welcoming address was delivered by Mr. Jun Niimi, Minister and Permanent Representative of Japan to ESCAP, Embassy of Japan. He recalled the BMF as the marker for the shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-based approach in the protection of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights of persons with disabilities. He also recognized the important role of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), under the auspices of the Royal Thai Government, with the support of the Government of Japan, as a regional mechanism in advancing collaboration among countries in the region for the empowerment of persons with disability.
  3. A welcome statement was delivered by Ms. Yukiko Kada, Governor of Shiga Prefecture, Japan, via video transmission. As Governor of the host city where the BMF was adopted in 2002, she expressed appreciation for all the successful achievements in the implementation of the Framework and recognized the efforts of all stakeholders in the region towards their contribution to the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006.
  4. The inaugural address was delivered by His Excellency Mr. Paiboon Wattanasiritham, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Development and Human Security, Royal Thai Government. He reaffirmed the Royal Thai Government's commitment to the common goal of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the BMF as well as emphasized the importance of partnership of all stakeholders, especially in regional initiatives in the field of disability, for the empowerment of peoples with disabilities.

III. Proceedings of the Meeting

  1. 10. In his keynote address, Mr. Monthian Buntan, President, Thai Association of the Blind and Member of Executive Committee, World Blind Union, referred to the spirit of BMF which had translated the aspirations of persons with disabilities into reality and marked a paradigm shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-based approach. He noted the positive changes in the last five years in all the priority areas of the BMF and the realization of the APCD and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He added that the Bangkok draft, which reflected the principles of the BMF, greatly contributed to the formulation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He also highlighted the present regional challenges, especially with regard to translating accessibility standards and guidelines into practice and mainstreaming disability in poverty alleviation and social security programmes.
  2. The Meeting considered the following four documents:
    1. E/ESCAP/APDDP(2)/1 entitled "Review of the progress made and challenges faced in the implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, 2003-2012.";
    2. E/ESCAP/APDDP(2)/INF/1 entitled "Partnership: key to the successful implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards and Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the pacific, 2003-2012;
    3. E/ESCAP/APDDP(2)/INF2 entitled "Strengthening the implementation of the Biwako Millenium Framework for Action in the Pacific Subregion"; and
    4. E/ESCAP/APDDP(2)/INF/3 entitled "Rights-based approach to development for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific: Biwako Millennium Framework for Action and its linkage to the Millennium Development Goals and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities."
  3. The ESCAP Secretariat presented a summary of the midpoint assessment regarding the implementation of the BMF based on the papers presented to the Meeting. It highlighted the main achievements over the past five years, especially in the areas of national coordination mechanisms, disability-relevant policies, data on disability, initiatives at sub-regional level and collaboration among stakeholders. It opined that while there were noticeable positive developments, many challenges remain to be tackled. The most crucial was the implementation laws and plans with sustained resources. It felt that immediate actions should be also taken to reduce poverty and improve educational and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Other challenges include the development of disaster-resilient accessible communities and the promotion of the disability-related normative frameworks in North and Central Asia. It hoped that the Biwako Plus Five would further facilitate the realization of a fully barrier-free and rights-based society.
  4. There were presentations on the implementation of the BMF in the Pacific which focused on the success of the collaborative initiative among various stakeholders including disabled people's organizations, intergovernmental agencies, Governments and ESCAP. Professor Amita Dhanda from India emphasized the need for self advocacy by persons with psychosocial disabilities in order to overcome normative barriers such as legislations, rules and judicial decisions which denied identity to persons with psychosocial disabilities. Professor Andrew Byrnes from Australia provided an overview of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. He noted that the Convention had innovative provisions such as the right to accessibility, the right to protection and safety in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, the right to live independently as well as be included in the community, and the right to personal mobility. The right of persons with disabilities to communicate through all forms of communication of their choice and a detailed provision on international cooperation were also guaranteed for the first time in a human rights treaty. Referring to its relationship with the BMF, he stated that they were broadly in alignment as both focused on a rights-based approach, participation of persons with disabilities and capacity building. In relation to the Millennium Development Goals he noted that though its targets and indicators made no specific mention of disability, it was however necessary to address the situation of persons with disabilities and to insert disability analysis into policies in order to achieve the Goals.
  5. Other more significant observations made during the Meeting included:
    1. Many Governments had committed themselves to a rights-based approach in addressing the needs and concerns of persons with disabilities. The process that led to the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol on 13 December 2006, had further reinforced the rights-based approach. The Convention represented the first disability-specific human rights treaty, which provided legal support for the paradigm shift from a charity-based to a rights-based approach to disability issues, in tandem with the BMF.
    2. Disability-inclusive development had been an increasingly recognized concept in the development field. As a result, an increased number of countries, bilateral and multilateral development banks and international development agencies, both at the global and regional levels, were paying more attention to the integration of disability concerns into their general development policies and projects.
    3. The BMF and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had influenced the national laws and plans in a positive way. Some Governments had specific articles in the Constitution, which mentioned disability, while some Governments had a comprehensive disability law that covered the seven priority areas of the BMF; and increasing number of Governments had a disability-specific anti-discrimination law. Additionally, the region had also witnessed the development of local government level planning in this regard.
    4. Governments had ensured steady and increased budget allocations for the implementation national plans and programmes on disability. The resources were translated into, inter alia, financial assistance to persons with disabilities, especially children for education, provision of subsidies and credit, including interest-free loans, assistance in housing, and training for employment.
    5. Several Governments had signed the Proclamation on the Full Participation and Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Region. Other measures undertaken by some Governments included the designation of a national decade of disabled persons, or a national year of disabled persons.
    6. The ESCAP region witnessed a steady increase in numbers of Governments instituting disability coordinating mechanisms at the national level. Multiple forms of institutional arrangements on disability had been made in the region, which included the involvement of multi-ministries and disabled persons. Some delegations reported that their national coordination mechanisms were placed under the responsibility of the office of the Prime Minister.
    7. Several delegations reported increased collaboration of all stakeholders - Governments, the United Nations agencies, development organizations, NGOs - especially disabled people's organizations, and the private sector, which had contributed to the successes of the first half of the Decade. It noted that, for the remaining five years of the Decade, partnership amongst all the stakeholders was a crucial key strategy for the successful implementation the BMF.
    8. The disaster-prone nature of the region as well as conflict situations posed a serious challenge to the implementation of the BMF. Natural disasters and conflicts had increased the number of persons with disabilities and accentuated their vulnerabilities, which led to increased poverty. With regard to disaster-stricken communities, however, the need for reconstruction had opened a window of opportunity for Governments, development agencies and persons with disabilities to work together to rebuild communities, which are accessible to persons with disabilities.
    9. The importance of special and public events at national and regional levels that contributed to the advancement of the status of persons with disabilities. In this regard, the China delegation announced the Special Olympics to be held in October 2007, in Shanghai, and the 13th Paralympic Games scheduled for September 2008 following the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing. Additionally, the delegation of the Republic of Korea announced their proposal to host the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to conclude the current Decade in 2012.
  6. The Meeting also reviewed the achievements of countries in the region in the following seven priority areas of the BMF:
    1. On the first priority area, the Meeting observed that some Governments in the region took specific measures to support the formation and to strengthen self-help organizations of persons with disabilities (SHOs) and related family and parent associations. In addition, during the last five years, there was significant increase in the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes such as the drafting process of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
    2. On the second priority area, which concerns women with disabilities, the Meeting noted that some Governments in the region had anti-discrimination measures to safeguard the rights of women with disabilities. In this regard, one delegate noted that a technical working group on women with disabilities was established under the National Advisory and Consultative Council. However, there was concern that many women with disabilities were still unable to play leadership roles owing to continued social exclusion and the lack of empowerment, training and opportunities.
    3. On the third priority area, the Meeting recognized that, increased efforts were made by Governments to enhance the access of children and youth with disabilities to education. However, their access to education remained at a significantly lower level compared to those without disabilities. Some Governments also had taken measures to provide community-based early intervention services and training programmes for young children.
    4. On the fourth priority area, 'training and employment, including self-employment', the Meeting recognized that some countries had ratified, over the past five years, the ILO Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention (No. 159), 1983. More countries had also adopted laws, policies on nondiscrimination and provided services related to skills training and employment promotion. In this regard, some Governments had established disability-inclusive vocational centres and other training services for employment.
    5. On the fifth priority area five, the Meeting noted that significant progress had taken place with regard to the enactment of relevant and specific laws and regulations on built environments. Increased attention was also given to "accessible tourism" as a useful means to bring benefits not only to persons with disabilities but also to the tourism industry. However, there remained challenges in the region, which had to be faced in order to enhance the accessibility of existing built environment and transport especially in rural and remote areas.
    6. On the sixth priority area six related to 'access to information and communications, including information, communications and assistive technologies', the Meeting observed that a number of Governments had put in place ICT accessibility guidelines for persons with disabilities and some Governments had applied global standards to the national context, data on the access to internet by persons with disabilities. The Meeting also noted progress made with regard to standardized sign language and Braille.
    7. On the seventh priority area concerning poverty alleviation through capacity-building, social security and sustainable livelihood programmes, the Meeting noted that Governments in the region had made significant efforts in involving persons with disabilities in Government's poverty alleviation schemes, provision of interest-free micro-credit, monthly cash assistance for severely disabled persons and education subsidies for students with disabilities at all schooling levels. The Meeting was concerned that there was a marked disparity between persons with and without disabilities, irrespective of the country's economic status.
  7. The Meeting also considered and adopted the document E/ESCAP/APDDP(2)/L.3 entitled Draft Biwako Plus Five: Further efforts towards an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific. It agreed that the Biwako Plus Five would supplement the BMF and, for the remaining five years of the Decade, both the documents would continue to serve as regional guidelines to realize an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific.

IV. Conclusion

  1. There was optimism that the remaining 5 years of the Decade would see further progress in the implementation of BMF and Biwako Plus Five towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific. However, there is a possibility that the BMF and Biwako Plus Five may become redundant and overtaken by the increasing momentum of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Asia and Pacific region must quickly embrace the imminent paradigm shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-based approach when considering disability and its related issues.
  2. As this was a High Level Intergovernmental meeting, some NGOs did not have ample time or opportunity to have their views and concerns heard. They also do not have negotiation rights.
  3. Participants were invited to various field visits including the Thaiwheel factory, Assistive Technology Centre and Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand.
  4. An interesting feature of the meeting was 2 special events organized during lunch time where participants could learn more about:
    1. the case of Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan as a example of "Access to Built Environments and Public Transport - Good Practices"; and
    2. Self-help organizations of persons with disabilities and related family and parent associations featuring a Panel comprising Mr. Ichiro Miyamoto, Director, World Federation of the Deaf, Regional Secretariat in Asia/Pacific; Mr. Shinichiro Kadokawa, Japan DeafBlind Association and Ms Saowaluk Thongkuay, Regional Development Officer, DPI / Asia Pacific.

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