THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC DECADE OF DISABLED PERSONS 2003-2012

Foreword

With deepest appreciation for the contribution of Social Welfare and Medical Service Cooperation of Japan, it is our great pleasure to present a "The Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012 -Resource Materials". This handbook is a compilation of the important United Nations documents related to the rights and improvement of the well being of persons with disability.

We are proud to share with the estimated 300 million people with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region the resolution of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons from 2003-2012 that was adopted by the General Assembly of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). We would like to welcome this Decade as a further challenge towards the issues to be tackled in this region.

To promote the previous Decade from 1993-2002 RNN(Regional NGO Network) contributed to the awareness raising towards disability issues through organizing Campaign Conferences every year in the region.

At the International Forum to mark the End Year of the Decade 1993-2002, formation of the new NGO Network, APDF was unanimously agreed.

We are sure this NGO Network will be a core organization in promoting the Decade through the implementation of various projects including information sharing.

JSRPD hopes that this handbook will be useful and will contribute to the achievement of the goals of "Full Participation and Equality "in our region and "Toward a Society for All".

Japanese Society Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD)

March 2009