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TWGDC 9th session 1-2 December 2004

TWGDC9/MINUTES

7 January 2005

UNITED NATIONS
REGIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM
THEMATIC WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY-RELATED CONCERNS

Ninth Session 1-2 December 2004
United Nations Conference Centre
Bangkok

MINUTES

  1. OPENING OF THE MEETING
  2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
  3. CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE THEMATIC WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY-RELATED CONCERNS (TWG-DC), HELD 15-16 JUNE 2004
  4. TASK FORCE ACTION REPORTS
  5. EVALUTION OF ACHIVEMENTS AND SHORTCOMINGS OF UNESCAP ACTITIVIES BY MEMBERS OF THE TWG-DC AND THE PROPOSED UNESCAP FUTURE WORK TOWARDS THE MID-POINT REVIEW (2007) OF THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC DECADE OF DISABLED PERSONS(2003-2012)
  6. REPORT ON THE UNESCAP/ APDF WORKSHOP ON REGIONAL FOLLOW-UP TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH SESSIONS OF 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 (UNCC, BANGKOK, 11-12 OCTOBER 2004)
  7. MATTERS CONCERNING THE PLANNED APDF GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 2005 AND THE 11TH SESSION OF THE TWG-DC
  8. REPORT ON THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES IN OBSERVANCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISABLED PERSONS, TO BE HELD ON 3 DECEMBER 2004, UNCC, BANGKOK
  9. REPORTS OF FUTURE ACTIVITIES (ILO, CBM/ICEVI)
  10. OTHER MATTERS

ANNEXES

ANNEX I: LIST OF THE PARTICIPANTS
ANNEX II: DRFT MINUTES OF THE TASK FORCES HELD AT THE NINTH SESSION OF THE THEMATIC WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY-RELATED CONCERNS(TWG-DC)
Annex II (a): Employment and Poverty AlleviationS(TWG-DC)
Annex II (b): Education for All Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA)
Annex II (c): Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Annex II (d): Women with Disabilities (WWD)
Annex II (e): Self-help Organizations (SHOs)
Annex II (f): Post Conflict Countries
Annex II (g): Proposed International Convention on Persons with Disabilities

I. OPENING OF THE MEETING

Ms Thelma Kay, Chief, Emerging Social issues Division (ESID) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP), opened the Ninth Session of the Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns (TWG-DC) with a welcome statement.

Ms Thelma Kay said that a significant part of UNESCAP work in 2004 was focused on three categories: (1) monitoring of 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 (BMF); (2) regional input to the process towards the elaboration of an International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, and (3) regional and inter-regional cooperation and networking.

Ms Kay stated that the Regional Workshop on Regional Follow-up to the Third and Fourth Sessions of 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, held from 10 to 11 October 2004, was co-organized with the newly establish NGO forum, the Asia Pacific Disability Forum (APDF), and that the convening proved to be a timely example of regional and sub-regional cooperation among various stakeholders, including international non -governmental organizations(INGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), grassroots self-help groups, Governments and others.
Furthermore, Ms Kay briefed about the Field Study cum Regional Workshop on Poverty Alleviation among Persons with Disabilities, held from 25 to 29 October 2004, which was also co-organized by UNESCAP and the China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF).

Ms Kay pointed out that we were now at the end of the first two years of the Decade, entering the new stage to formulate our own strategies towards the mid-point review and revision of the BMF, to be held in 2007.
Ms Kay concluded her speech by reaffirming our continued commitments for the rest of the Decade and extending her gratitude towards the participants of the TWG-DC.

The Ninth Session of the TWG-DC was by chaired by the appointed chairperson, Mr Graham Smith of Disability Australia, on behalf of the APDF. It was attended by some 30 participants. The list of participants is attached as Annex I.

II. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

The TWG-DC adopted the following agenda.

A. Meetings of Task Forces:

  1. Employment and Poverty Alleviation
  2. Education of All Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA)
  3. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
  4. Women with Disabilities
  5. Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (SHOs)
  6. Post Conflict Countries
  7. Proposed International Convention on Persons with Disabilities

B. Plenary session:

  1. Ninth 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 15-16 June 2004
  4. Task Force action reports
  5. Evaluation of achievements and shortcomings of UNESCAP activities by members of the TWG-DC and the proposed UNESCAP future work towards the mid-point review (2007) of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (2003-2012)
  6. Reports on the UNESCAP/ APDF Workshop on Regional Follow-up to the Third and Fourth Sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (11-12 October 2004, UNCC, Bangkok)
  7. Matters concerning the planned APDF General Assembly in 2005 and the 11th Session of the TWG-DC
  8. Reports on the planned activities in observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons, to be held on 3 December 2004, UNCC, Bangkok
  9. Reports of future activities (ILO, CBM/ICEVI)
  10. Other matters

III. CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE TWG-DC

The minutes of the Eighth Session of the TWG-DC, held in Bangkok, from 15 to 16 June 2004, were adopted.

IV. TASK FORCE ACTION REPORTS

Brief reports were presented from the seven Task Forces listed in the agenda. Full Task Force minutes are presented in the Annex II.

a. Employment and Poverty Alleviation

The Task Force informed that Fiji and Sri Lanka were both in the process of ratifying the ILO Convention 159. When and if both countries ratify it, a total of eleven countries out of 46 signatory states would have ratified the Convention 159 in the UNESCAP region. This would add up to approximately 24% of the signatory states.

The Task Force confirmed that it would organize a two-day workshop in June or July 2005, in conjunction with the 10th Session of the TWG-DC. UNESCAP will be the Secretariat for the first day of the workshop, and the ILO will be the Secretariat for the second day. Thematic focus of the first day will be "poverty alleviation and Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR)," and that of the second day will be "a roundtable dialogue among multinationals and stakeholders on hiring and training of persons with disabilities. This workshop will be held prior to the 10th Session of the TWG-DC. The exact dates of the workshop and the 10th Session will be decided soon, but probably be either during the last week of June or the first week of July 2005.

The part I of the workshop will be considered to be the second phase of the UNESCAP/CDPF Field Study cum Regional Workshop on Poverty Alleviation among Persons with Disabilities, held from 25 to 29 October 2004. Thus the agenda of the part I will be derived from the outcome document of the Workshop in October 2004, "Joint Statement on Poverty Alleviation Among Persons with Disabilities," with an emphasis on the critical role of partnerships among the public and private sectors and civil society, and Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) as a key for effective poverty alleviation strategies.

The part II of the workshop is provisionally entitled, "Multinational Corporation Roundtable on Hiring Persons with Disabilities," and is expected to be attended by a dozen of multinational corporations from various industries such as automobile industry (Honda Co. Ltd.), hotel service industry (Marriot Hotel), computer and information industry (IBM, Microsoft) and others. A set of criteria for invited corporations will be developed and sent online by Ms Debra Petty of the ILO to the members of the preparatory committee of this roundtable. The criteria will include the following: 1) Whether a corporation has an operation in the Asian and Pacific region (preferably a regional or branch office located in Bangkok, Thailand); 2) Whether a corporation has a good record of employing persons with disabilities; 3)Whether a corporation has willingness for promoting hiring and training of persons with disabilities in the future.

A suggestion was made from Mr Bill Brohier to invite the Malaysian Airline because it has a good record of hiring blind people. The preparatory committee on this workshop was already formed and the members were assigned to make initial contacts with the multinational corporations of their responsibility.

Invited Governments were selected based on interests of multinational corporations in the country. The countries included so far are Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong), Fiji, India, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. Other countries may be added at a later stage.

b. Education for All Children and Yourh with Disabilities(EFA)

The Task Force first extended its gratitude towards the UNESCAP Secretariat for accommodating the need of the Task Force for a three-hour meeting.

The Task Force informed that Ms Penny Price was elected as the Chair of the Rehabilitation International (RI) Education Commission and that Ms Nareewan Chintakanond was elected as the Regional Chair of RI Asia-Pacific. Due to this new position, the regional office of RI now is located in Thailand.

UNESCO has hosted two meetings with the theme of Inclusive education in October 2004: The Regional Workshop on Inclusive Education and the 6th EFA National Coordinators Meeting. Several Members of TF EFA attended and made presentations. Very strong and close collaborations between TF EFA and UNESCO have become one of the most significant achievements of the TF EFA. However, the Second Steering Committee of the Flagship on the Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities: Towards Inclusion, scheduled to be held in Bangkok in October 2004 was cancelled due to lack of funds but a mini-meeting was held with those members of the Secretariat who were in Bangkok to attend the UNESCO meetings.

Also, the Task Force reported on the current situation of the Regional Asian and Pacific Working Group of the Flagship. According to the report, the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Working Group were accepted by the Flagship Secretariat in November 2003. UNESCO Bangkok, however, declined to accept the coordination role as the Secretariat as specified in the original TOR. An alternative coordination mechanism is currently being worked out with the possibility that responsibility for coordination will be shared by a number of agencies, which may include RI Asia and Pacific, CBM, UNESCAP and UNESCO Bangkok.

The Task Force proposed a recommendation for TWG-DC plenary approval on the amalgamation of the TF EFA and the Working Group. UNESCAP said that it would provide limited logistical supports including the provision of meeting rooms and possibly, coffee break.

c. Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Ms Lasapan Toomsawasdi of the APCD, reported on behalf of Mr Monthian Buntan, Chairperson of the Task Force. First, she reported on activities undertaken by the Chairperson.

One of the recent major activities was a meeting with Mr Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft (MS), as a part of a summit, "Libraries for the Blind and Print Disabled: Moving Toward a Digital Future," held from 8 to 10 November 2004 at the Microsoft headquarter in Richmond, Washington U.S.A. Mr Buntan joined the meeting with Mr Gates along with representatives from libraries for the blind and print disabled around the world to initiate planning on establishing universal information accessibility through a global digital library. Representatives from more than twenty countries, agencies working in developing countries, the international publishing community, The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, DAISY Consortium and international bodies including the United Nations and the World Health Organizations (WHO) attended the summit. At this meeting with Mr Gates, MS assured that the Digital Right Movement (DRM) would not affect the accessibility and the MS next Operating System would include more accessible features.

Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) met from 6 to 9 September 2004 in Japan. SMIL synchronized different media ( audio, text, and graphic) adding more features to support the mobile phone accessibility. Many corporations now grew interest in this SMIL 1, and 3.0.

The United States Government announced the National Voluntary File Format Standard based on HTML, DAISY 3, ANSI/NISO Z 39.86. The national standard is to be adopted by the Government to support DAISY DTD or Z39.86 document file. MS will support it in the next version of the MS Office1.

UNESCAP Secretariat reported that a set of indicators had been developed and proposed at the Regional Workshop on Monitoring the implementation of the BMF held from 13 to 15 October 2004. However, for the BMF priority area six, "Access to information and communications, including information, communication and assistive technologies," it was difficult to identify usable statistical indicators, thus policy indicators were more usable (e.g. international ICT standard, national ICT standard). The Task Force members agreed on this assessment.

1When this new standard is applied, users will be able to choose an accessible format upon saving a file.

d. Women with disabilities (WWD)

The Task Force reported on a recent achievement made at the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Review Regional Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, held from 7 to 10 September 2004. Three Task Force members participated in the Meeting, read a Statement on behalf of the Task Force at the plenary session. A part of the Statement was reflected in an official final report, which will be submitted to the Commission on the Status of Women to be held March 2005, in New York. A copy of the Statement is attached in the draft Minutes of the Task Force.

The Task Force reaffirmed the importance of lobbying to mainstream disabled women's issues in a gender field. Thus it agreed on concrete action plans. Ms Nareewan will approach Thai National Council on Women on possible joint activities. She will also ensure the establishment of a subcommittee on women with disabilities within the RI Asia-Pacific and mainstreaming of women with disabilities at the regional RI conference, which is to be held from 29 November to 2 December, 2006.

The Task Force agreed that Ms Farida Yesmin, Executive Director of Disabled Rehabilitation & Research Association (DRRA), Bangladesh, will be a new coordinator of the Task Force replacing Ms Supattraporn Tanatikom.

e. Self-help Organizations (SHOs)

A representative from the Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD) reported on a recent APCD training on the development of self-help groups, held from 10 to 30 August 2004 in Thailand. This training was targeted on only three countries (Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand) in order to have effective formation of the self-help groups. Task Force supported the APCD strategy of empowering self-help groups as a part of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) or community development, with active participation of persons with disabilities.

The Task Force examined proposed indicators of the BMF targets 1 and 2, which were developed at the Regional Workshop on monitoring the implementation of the BMF. It agreed that binominal indicators for asking whether policies or mechanisms exist for supporting self-help organizations would be merely the first step and there should be a comprehensive set of indicators to ensure the appropriate budget, and implementation of the policies or mechanisms.

The Task Force discussed in depth on other issues on government support for self-help organizations and different interpretations of "self-help," and "decision-making by persons with disabilities." It agreed, however, that, in any case, dignity of persons with disabilities should be respected, and there should be a clear distinction between supporting persons with disabilities for decision-making and representing them on their behalf.

Mr Topong Khulkhanchit, a coordinator for the Task Force, reported on Thai disabled people's recommendations submitted to the Governor of Bangkok at the 6th Asia-Pacific City Summit (1 December 2004). The recommendations included the adherence to the BMF, provision of accessibility at the forth-coming political election and ensuring non-handicapping environments.

f. Post-conflict Countries

Timor Leste

Further development of the project on CBR and income generation of persons with disabilities in Timor Leste was reported. Thanks to efforts by Dr. Joseph Kwok (RI Hong Kong), approximately US$ 45,000 was mobilized from the Hong Kong Trust to support its second phase in collaboration with Hong Kong China, Timor Leste, Japan and Indonesia. As matching fund, approximately US$ 15,000 was raised by a NGO in Japan (through Mr.Maruyama). With this initial seed money, a NGO, Katilosa (RI Timor Leste) will inaugurate this new phase on CBR and income generation (CBR based on social model), in collaboration with the CBR Development and Training Center (Dr.Handojo Tjandrakusuma) in Solo, Indonesia. The project will be implemented by Katilosa and the Department of Labour and Solidarity in Timor Leste.

Afghanistan

ILO reported that an ILO in-country advisor on employment and training of persons with disabilities was recently appointed for the post in Kabul, and he started his assignment from September 2004 for the period of 12 months. His assignment includes provision of technical advisory services to the Government and other stakeholders, regarding implementation of relevant projects in Afghanistan, and formulation of a national policy on disability. According to the report, he already initiated his work-plan and proposals, with particular focus on (i) inclusive vocational skill training, and (2) employment promotion of persons with disabilities, based on an integrated approach ("mainstreaming disability" into the existing ILO projects in the country and any other national projects).

UNDP has initiated a new project with the total budget of $ 9.4 million for the initial period of 3 years on disability (replacing the former UNDP/UNOPS project). The main activities of this project include (1) raising awareness, (2) capacity building, (3) establishment of national structure (such as NCC), (4) policy formulation, and (5) research development.

Other conflict affected countries

The UNESCAP region's Decades influenced other developing countries positively. About other conflict countries, the Arab Decade of Disabled Person (2004-2013) was officially proclaimed at the Arab Summit held in Tunis in May 2004.

Other matters

The Task Force recognized that numbers of participants in its meetings had continued to decrease though it was making a good and steady progress. Thus it agreed that the future sessions of the Task Force would be based on ad-hoc and online until further notice. This will solve the problem of time conflicts for the TWG-DC itself, giving more time to other bigger taskforce groups.

g. Proposed International Convention on Persons with Disabilities

Ms Kay Nagata, a member of the Task Force, reported on the context and content of the "Joint Statement on Proposed Structure, Elements and Principles of a Comprehensive and Integral Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," the outcome document of the UNESCAP/Asia and Pacific Disability Forum (APDF) Workshop on Regional Follow-up to the Third and Fourth Sessions of 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 (Bangkok, 10-11 October 2004).

Ms Nagata reported that the statement was officially signed and submitted from Mr Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP to H.E. Mr Luis Gallegos Chiriboga, Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee, with a copy attached to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in New York and Sheikha (Ms) Hesa K.A. Al-Thani, Special Rapportuer on Disability of the Commission for Social Development

Main points of the Statement are 1) reaffirming he partnership between Governments and persons with disabilities, NGOs, 2) urging the elaboration process be both timely and in effective manner, 3) encouraging inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of a process, including a Government delegation to the Ad Hoc Committee, and 4) a special attention given to disability inclusive international cooperation projects and evaluation.

The Task Force was with a view that, as a process of elaboration and negotiation on the convention becomes more and more government-focused, participation of persons with disabilities in the process, through the national-level lobbying or becoming a part of a Government delegation becomes critical.

Another member of the Task Force, Mr Monthian Buntan reviewed substantive issues on a current draft. According to him, the first reading of the draft up to the Article 15 was completed (except Article 3 on definition) and the rest will be pursued at the forthcoming Ad Hoc Committee held from the end of January to the beginning of February in 2005. Many unsettled issues remain in the part of the first reading, and they include the following: 1) international cooperation; 2) Progressive realization of social-economic rights; 3) Article 5 (attitude should be included or not); 4)Article on statistics/data(should be a part of monitoring article or not), 5) "non-discrimination" convention (EU strongly advocates) versus "social development "convention; 6) A separate article on women submitted by Republic of Korea (but EU are against it; 7) adequacy of "supported decision-making" mainly advocated by WNUSP and II in article 9; 8) highly sensitive "choice" on forms of education in an article 17 .

V. EVALUTION OF ACHIVEMENTS AND SHORTCOMINGS OF UNESCAP ACTITIVIES BY MEMBERS OF THE TWG-DC AND THE PROPOSED UNESCAP FUTURE WORK TOWARDS THE MID-POINT REVIEW (2007) OF THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC DECADE OF DISABLED PERSONS (2003-2012)

UNESCAP Secretariat summarized a review paper which compiled replies to a questionnaire circulated by the Secretariat to the TWG-DC members with an aim to evaluate UNESCAP activities for the Decade and the BMF2. Details of the evaluation will be seen at http://www.worldenable.net/bmf2004/docworking3.htm

The Secretariat reported that the findings of the evaluation were reflected on the activities by UNESCAP from 2005 to 2006: 1) International Convention (targeted at NGOs and Governments, 2005- 2006); 2) Formulation of national policy (Governments, 2005); 3) Disability statistics (Governments, 2005); 4) CBR and poverty alleviation (NGO, 2005); 5) Self-help groups (NGOs and Governments, 2006); 6) Mid-point review of the BMF in 2007.

The Secretariat presented the following strategies towards the mid-point review of the BMF in 2007: 1) By the 10th Session of the TWG-DC (June 2005), the Ad Hoc Working Group on the BMF Review and Revision will be formed; 2) By the 11th Session of the TWG-DC, to be held in conjunction with the General Assembly of the APDF (November 2005 in Melbourne), the first revised text will be submitted for discussion; 3) At the 12th Session of the TWG-DC (June 2006), the revised text will be discussed and adopted; 5) The adopted text will be submitted to the Expert Group Meeting(EGM), to be held during the fourth quarter of 2006, for discussion and adoption; 6) The final draft of the EGM will be studied at the 13th Session of the TWG-DC; 7) The final EGM draft will be submitted to the High Level Inter-governmental Meeting on the Mid-point Review, to be held during the fourth quarter of 2007.

The participants of the TWG-DC agreed on these proposed strategies, and Ms Penny Price, Mr Bill Brohier, Ms Debra Perry (ILO), and the APDF nominated themselves as the members of the Ad Hoc Working Group. Additional members could be recruited at a later stage.

UNESCAP Secretariat pointed out that the purpose of the BMF review and revision is not to expand and dilute the existing text but to issue a supplementary text. The purposes for the supplementary text are; 1) to update the text in line with current disability regional and global context; 2) to add priority areas, targets or strategies if there is a strong opinion to do so with a convincing reason; 3) to merge, if necessary, priority areas or strategies for more coordinated and effective implementation (e.g. priority areas 1 and 2, priority areas 5 and 6); 4) to develop a set of indicators to effectively monitor the progress of the implementation of the BMF.

2Ms Debra Perry pointed out that "Training and employment, including self-employment" was not included in the original questionnaire. Thus, it was decided that it would be included in the following third round.

VI. REPORT ON THE UNESCAP/ APDF WORKSHOP ON REGIONAL FOLLOW-UP TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH SESSIONS OF 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 (11-12 OCTOBER 2004, UNCC, BANGKOK )

On behalf of the APDF, Mr Graham Smith of Disability Australia, briefed about the UNESCAP/APDF Workshop on Regional Follow-up to the Third and Fourth Sessions of 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 (Bangkok, 10-11 October 2004) and described the outcome document , "Joint Statement on Proposed Structure, Elements and Principles of a Comprehensive and Integral Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities."

VII. 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.

VIII. REPORT ON THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES IN OBSERVANCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DISABLED PERSONS, TO BE HELD ON 3 DECEMBER 2004, UNCC BANGKOK

UNESCAP Secretariat announced that a commemorative event in observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons, 3 December, would be held on that day at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC). The theme of this year was "Nothing about Us without Us," a motto of international disability movements to ensure participation of, by and for persons with disabilities in all concerned aspects of their life.

IX. REPORTS OF FUTURE ACTIVITIES (ILO, CBM/ICEVI)

ILO

Debra Perry of the ILO reported on recent activities and planned future activities. The focus of ILO activities was shifted from regional networking to country-specific advisory services. Its current target countries include China, Republic of Korea, Laos and Mongolia. Recent publication projects were introduced, including "CBR: A strategy for Rehabilitation, Equalization of Opportunities, Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities," jointly produced with WHO and UNESCO.

CBM/ICEVI

Mr Bill Brohier, Regional Advisor, Education of Visually Impaired Persons, Christoffel ?Blindenmission (CBM), and the Past President of International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), reported on the mission and activities of both organizations.

X. OTHER MATTERS

The dates of the 10th Session of the TWG-DC and the Workshop by The Task Force on Employment and Poverty Alleviation will be finalized later but before 31 December 2004.
An agreement was reached as to restructuring of convening of the Task Force meetings. Though the present seven Task Forces will remain as they are, the following changes will be made: 1) the Task Force on Post conflict Countries will be held on either ad-hoc or on-line basis; 2) the Task Force on Women with Disabilities and the Task Force on Self-help Organizations will be merged into one meeting; 3) the Task Force on Employment and Poverty Alleviation and the Task Force on Education for All will be held in the morning so that the meeting participants can attend the both meetings.

0800-1030 Education of All Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA)
1030-1300 Employment and Poverty Alleviation
1300-1400 Lunch break
1400-1530 1) Information and Communication Technology (ICTS)
1400-1530 2) Women with Disabilities and Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (SHOs)
1530-1630 Proposed International Convention on Persons with Disabilities

At the plenary session, the facilitator of each Task Force must make the report as before.

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