TWGDC Tenth Session
TWGDC10/MINUTES
7-8 July 2005
UNITED NATIONS
REGIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM
THEMATIC WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY-RELATED CONCERNS
Tenth Session 7-8 July 2005
United Nations Conference Centre
Bangkok
MINUTE
- OPENING OF THE MEETING
- ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
- CONFIRMATION OF THEMINUTES OF THE NINTH SESSION OF THE THEMATIC WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY-RELATED CONCERNS (TWG-DC), HELD ON 1-2 DECEMBER 2004
- TASK FORCE ACTION REPORTS
- REPORTS FROM THE WORKSHOP ON COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILIATION (CBR) FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION (BANKOK,5 JULY 2005) AND A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION ROUNDTABLE ON DISABILITY AND EMPLOYMENT (BANGKOK 6 JULY 2005),CO-SPONSORED BY UNESCAP AND ILO
- PROPOSED STEPS FOR BIWAKO+5: FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES FOR THE 2ND HALF OF THE DECADEB AT THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL MEETING ON THE MID-POINT REVIEW OF THE BMF (2007) (UNESCAP)
- MATTERS CONCERNING THE PLANNED APDF GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 2005 AND THE 11TH SESSION OF THE TWG-DC
- OTHER MATTERS
ANNEXES
ANNEX I: LIST OF THE PARTICIPANTS
ANNEX II: DRAFT MINUTES OF THE TASK FORCES HELD AT THE TENTH SESSION OF THE THEMATIC WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY-RELATED CONCERNS (TWG-DC)
- Annex II (a): Education for All Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA)
- Annex II (b): Employment and Poverty Alleviation
- Annex II (c): Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
- Annex II (d): Women with Disabilities (WWD)
- Annex II (e): Proposed International Convention on Persons with Disabilities
Thelma Kay, Director, Emerging Social issues Division (ESID) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP), opened the Tenth Session of the Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns (TWG-DC) with a welcome statement.
Ms Thelma Kay first extended her sincere gratitude to the participants who had already made significant contributions to the two workshops which were successfully completed immediately prior to the current TWG-DC Session. These workshops are "Workshop on Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and Poverty Alleviation of Persons with Disabilities," organized by UNESCAP, and "Unlocking Potential: Multinational Corporation Roundtable on Disability and Employment," organized by the TWG-DC Task Force on employment and poverty alleviation.
Ms Kay pointed out that the most recent UNESCAP resolution 61/8 of 18 May 2005 was significant since it provides a clear mandate to organize a three-day high-level intergovernmental meeting in 2007 for the midpoint review of the implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrie-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF).
Ms Kay explained that the main objective of the current TWG-DC session was to actively involve the participants in a process towards the midpoint high-level intergovernmental meeting on the proposed UNESCAP strategy, entitled "Biwako plus 5: forward Looking Strategies for the Second Half of the Decade."
Ms Kay concluded her speech by reaffirming our continued commitments for the rest of the Decade.
The Tenth Session of the TWG-DC was chaired by the appointed chairperson, Mr Wim Polan of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It was attended by some 80 participants. The list of participants is attached as Annex I.
The TWG-DC adopted the following agenda.
- A. Meetings of Task Forces:
- a. Education of All Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA);
- b. Employment and Poverty Alleviation;
- c. Information and Communication Technology (ICT);
- d. Women with Disabilities and Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities(SHOs);
- e. Proposed International Convention on Persons with Disabilities;
- B. Plenary session:
- 1. Tenth Session of the Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns (TWG-DC), plenary session.
- 2. Adoption of the Agenda.
- 3. Confirmation of Minutes of the Eighth Session of the TWG-DC, held 1-2 December 2004.
- 4. Task Force action reports.
- 5. Reports of the Workshop on Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) for Poverty Alleviation (Bangkok 5 July 2005) and a Multinational Cooperation Roundtable on Disability and Employment (Bangkok, 6 July 2005), co-sponsored by UNESCAP and ILO.
- 6. Proposed Steps towards Biwako +5: Forward Looking Strategies for the 2nd Half of the Decade at the Intergovernmental Meeting on the mid-point review of the BMF (2007) (UNESCAP).
- 7. Other matters.
3. CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE EIGTH SESSION OF THE TWG-DC
The minutes of the Ninth Session of the TWG-DC, held in Bangkok, from 1 to 2 December 2004, were adopted with minor amendments.
Brief reports were presented from the seven Task Forces listed in the agenda. Full Task Force minutes are presented in the Annex II.
a. Education for All Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA)
The Task Force members reported on activities they had either attended or initiated during the last six months. The activities included Tsunami damage assessment by the Christoffel-Blindenmission (CBM), translation of UNESCO toolkit for inclusive education in different languages, and UNESCO ongoing project to develop a "Manual for Action to Include Children with Disabilities in School System".
The Task Force proposed that the current Task Force and the regional Flagship Working Group on the Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities were to be merged as one entity with a reason that goals and strategies of the two groups seemed identical. The Task Force further proposed its own name change reflecting the merge. However, UNESCAP secretariat showed some reservation because the merge had both substantive and structural ramifications for the Task Force, whose activities are open-ended by nature. Thus further clarifications of the proposal were requested and the detailed discussion would take place at the next Eleventh Session of the TWG-DC.
b. Employment and Poverty Alleviation
The Task Force reported on two workshops, which it organized and was completed immediately prior to the current TWG-DC Session; 1) Workshop on Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) and Poverty Alleviation of Persons with Disabilities (5 July 2005, Bangkok) and Unlocking Potential: a Multinational Corporation Roundtable on Disability and Employment (6 July 2005, Bangkok).
The CBR Workshop's was attended by approximately 90 participants including policy-makers, CBR practitioners and representatives from disabled people's organizations. They agreed upon the "Joint Statement on CBR and Other Community Initiatives for Poverty Alleviation among Persons with Disabilities" at the end of the Workshop. The Statement delineates "Forming self-help groups should be encouraged in the process of CBR as role models and peer support are essential and effective for empowerment of persons with disabilities in the community." The secretariat informed that, building on the outcome of the Workshop, UNESCAP and China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF) would co-organize a Field Study cum Regional Workshop on Capacity Building of Grassroots Self-help Groups of Persons with Disabilities in Local Communities in Chendgu, Sichuan Province, China, 16-18 August 2005.
The Roundtable was attended by approximately 90 participants from multinational companies, disability policy-making bodies and disabled people's organizations. Task Force members, who had attended, shared their feedbacks on the Roundtable. Follow-up actions recommended by the Roundtable included continuing dialogue and exchange among the participants to collect more good practices on employment of persons with disabilities, replication of the multi-stakeholder roundtable at a national level, development of "the Resource Manuals for Employers" and formation of regional network of employers.
c. Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
The Task Force reported on recent developments and planned activities in this area. One of the future activities, which was considered highly significant, was the Second World Summit for Information Society (WSIS), to be held in Tunis, Tunisia, from 16 to 18 November 2005. Mr Monthian Buntan, the Chairperson of the Task Force, was expected to participate in this Summit to further mainstream disability perspectives in the discussions and expected outcome document.
The Task Force reported on its discussion on promotion of BMF implementation in the relevant five targets. The Task Force was of a view that many of the targets had not been achieved yet. However, members also recognized that many countries in the region now had developed their own national sign languages, which reflected the achievement of the BMF target 19.
The Task Force was of a view that a regional survey on access to information and communications should be conducted in order to accurately assess the implementation of the relevant BMF targets. This survey results would supplement information derived from the UNESCAP BMF survey which has been distributed since 2004. According to the proposal UNESCAP, the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD) and the Task Force would collaborate to conduct the proposed survey. The proposal was unanimously agreed by the plenary session and will be implemented as follows:
- The Task Force members will formulate questionnaire;
- UNESCAP will disseminate the questionnaire to Governments/NGOs in the region, and the replies will be forwarded to a focal point at JSPRD;
- JSPRD will be responsible for analysis of the data and production of a research paper.
d. Women with disabilities (WWD)
The Task Force reported on its discussion on mainly three topics: incorporating disabled women's issues into mainstream gender activities; the proposed international convention on disability and implementation of the relevant BMF targets.
The Task Force reported that a UNICEF representative made a presentation on its initiatives on girl's education. The Task Force felt that girls and women with disabilities should be appropriately incorporated into its activities.
In relationship to the target 5 of the BMF, it was decided that an official letter would be sent from the Task Force to Ms Thelma Kay, Director of ESID requesting to incorporate issues of women with disabilities in the Thematic Working Group on Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality, organized by the Gender and Development Section of ESID. It was also decided that Task Force would submit recommendations to the UNICEF meeting to be held in Paris later this year, to incorporate disabled women's perspectives.
As for the ongoing negotiation process of the international convention on disability, the Task Force strongly felt that the there should be a separate and independent article on women with disabilities in the draft text.
Some Task Force members reported on achievements of the relevant BMF targets. For example, in Bangladesh, the National Forum of Organizations Working with the Disabled (NFOWD), a coalition of NGOs in disability field, has a policy to mainstream women with disabilities in the activities and has been appropriately translating it into practice. The Disability Discrimination Ordinance in Hong Kong, China, established in 1995, covers women with disabilities, and the law is sufficiently enforced. The Task Force held a view that the target 3 of the BMF on establishment of anti-discrimination measure on women with disabilities was already achieved in Hong Kong, China.
e. Self-help Organizations (SHOs)
For the first time, representatives from Samoa and Solomon Islands participated in the meeting and reported on the recent developments in each country. The Task Force was informed that Solomon Islands had completed drafting of its national policy on disability (2005-2010), and had started drafting relevant legislation.
The Task Force had a discussion on the implementation of the BMF targets under priority area 1 on Self-help Organizations (SHOs). UNESCAP secretariat informed that the regional workshop on the BMF in 2006 would focus on this particular area.
f. Proposed International Convention on Persons with Disabilities
The Task Force first reported on two forthcoming meetings on the convention to be organized by UNESCAP: Workshop on Regional Follow-up to the Fifth Session and Preparation for the Sixth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (26-27 July 2005, Bangkok) and a side event on international cooperation (11 August 2005) during the Sixth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee.The Task Force reported progress made during the Fifth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee and expected deliberation during its Six Session. Government's negotiation over the articles from 7 to 15 was completed, so at the Six Session, negotiation over the articles from 16 to 25 was expected to take place. The Task Force also reported that there was growing uncertainty over the timing of the completion of the convention drafting process and impact of the UN structural reform on the content of the draft.
Lastly, the Task Force reported on examples of national level efforts made to promote the international convention, namely, from Bangladesh, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand.
Though the Task Force was not convened this time, Mr Laurentino Guterres of KATILOSA, a disability NGO from Timor Leste made a presentation on the recent development of national policy in the country (please see the Annex III for a copy of the presentation). The plenary session was informed that the policy was developed with a help of a USAID-funded consultant, and with consultation of multiple Government agencies, civil society organizations and persons with disabilities representing all of the 13 districts in the country. In this process, persons with disabilities accounted for more than 40 per cent. The drafted policy is now submitted to the Council of Ministers for the endorsement.
5. REPORTS FROM THE WORKSHOP ON COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILIATION (CBR) FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION (BANKOK, 5 JULY 2005) AND A MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION ROUNDTABLE ON DISABILITY AND EMPLOYMENT (BANGKOK 6 JULY 2005), CO-SPONSORED BY UNESCAP AND ILO
Following a report made by the Task Force on employment and Poverty Alleviation, the plenary participants further exchanged information and views on the contents and follow-up activities on the two meetings. The plenary session held a view that both of the two meetings were successful.
6. PROPOSED STEPS FOR BIWAKO+5: FORWARD-LOOKING STRATEGIES FOR THE 2ND HALD OF THE DECADEB AT THE INTER-GOVERNMENTALMEETING ON THE MID-POINT REVIEW OF THE BMF (2007) (UNESCAP)
The secretariat made a presentation on its proposed steps for Biwako +5: Forward-Looking Strategies for the 2nd Half of the Decade at the Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-point Review of the BMF (2007) (please see the Annex IV for a copy of the presentation).
First, the secretariat reiterated the importance of the three-day high-level intergovernmental meeting in 2007, which was mandated in the UNESCAP resolution 61/8 of 18 May 2005, and which would be the culminating point to establish strategies for the 2nd half of the Decade. Then, the secretariat proposed that TWG-DC participants be actively involving in the process of the drafting the strategies online and through a number of reviewing processes between now and 2007. The secretariat presented a prepared text with a set of key issues for the participants to brainstorm ideas. Formation of four thematic working groups was also recommended to work on specific aspects of the strategies.
The plenary session unanimously agreed upon the proposed process and the formation of the working groups. Some participants at the plenary already nominated themselves to be members of the working groups. UNESCAP secretariat will communicate with all the members of the TWG-DC on this agreement online, seeking for wider membership of the working groups and encouraging the first review process at the forthcoming regional workshop on national action plan on disability, to be held from 19 to 21 October 2005.
7. MATTERS CONCERNING THE PLANNED APDF GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 2005 AND THE 11TH SESSION OF THE TWG-DC
On behalf of the APDF, Mr Graham Smith of Disability Australia presented the most updated plan on the Second General Assembly (GA) of the APDF to be held Melbourne, Australia, November 2005. According to the presentation, the proposed APDF GA will be from 19 to 21. The Task Forces of the 11th Session of the TWG-DC will be incorporated in the agenda of the GA. On 22 November 2005, plenary session of the 11th Session of the TWG-DC will be held. As indicated in the section V, participants of the TWG-DC agreed to add a session on the BMF review and revision as a part of the agenda, after the GA.
On behalf of the Asian and Pacific Disability Forum (APDF), Mr J.B. Munro informed on the recent progress made regarding the APDF 2nd General Meeting. According to Mr Munro, the Meeting will be held from 24 to 27 June 2006 in Melbourne, Australia, with support provided by various Governmental agencies and NGOs such as Disability Australia. This Meeting will be held in conjunction with the TWG-DC session.
It was announced and agreed that there would be no more session of the TWG-DC in 2005. Thus the next 11th Session of the TWG-DC would be the one to be held with this Meeting in Australia.