Regional Support

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION
FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Conclude the
Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002
25-28 October 2002
Otsu City, Shiga, Japan

SUMMARY PAPER

In April 1992, the Governments of the ESCAP region proclaimed the “Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002”. A major goal of the Decade is the full participation and equality of persons with disabilities.

As the decade comes to a close in 2002, this document serves as a summary of the regional-level actions in support of Governments in the region in their efforts to achieve the goals of Decade. It specifically reviews regional-level support actions by ESCAP and contributions made by other United Nations bodies and specialized agencies as well as intergovernmental agencies.

I. REGIONAL COOPERATION MECHANISM

Throughout the Decade, a regional cooperation mechanism played an important role in coordinating regional actions in the development and monitoring of the implementation of the Agenda for Action and its targets. RICAP, the Regional Inter-agency Committee for Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee on Disability-related Concerns was expanded and strengthened in 1992. 11 United Nations bodies and agencies, and a wide range of service delivery and self-help non-governmental organizations (SHO) in the field of disabilities joined the Subcommittee. Representatives of Governments also participated in RICAP’s sessions.

In 2000, the Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns (TWGDC) replaced the RICAP Subcommittee and continued to sustain the momentum towards the fulfillment of the goals of the

Decade. The membership of TWGDC was expanded to include 50 NGOs, 15 government representatives and the Asian Development Bank..

II. WORK OF ESCAP IN SUPPORT OF THE DECADE

It has to be noted that, of the 12 policy areas under the Agenda for Action, ESCAP’s efforts have been focused on areas that were not covered by the mandates or expertise of other United Nations bodies and agencies. ESCAP focused on policy areas concerning national coordination, legislation, information (in particular disability statistics), accessibility, assistive devices and self-help organizations of disabled persons. The following sections summarize ESCAP’s activities according to the 12 policy areas under the Agenda for Action.

1. National coordination

ESCAP assisted a number of Governments in their organization of inter-country seminars on multisectoral collaboration for people with disabilities. Focus was on technical assistance to address critical issues faced by national coordination committees on disability. In 1997, ESCAP also carried out a questionnaire survey to assess the progress made in the establishment and strengthening of NCCDs in the region.

2. Legislation

In response to many requests from Governments in the region, for model frameworks of legislation, ESCAP issued two companion publications in 1995: Legislation on Equal Opportunities and Full Participation in Development for Disable Persons: Regional Review and Legislation on Equal Opportunities and full Participation in Development for Disabled Persons: Examples from the ESCAP Region.

3. Public awareness

Among the activities in this area, ESCAP actively supported the regional campaigns that were organized by the Regional NGO Network for the promotion of the Decade in collaboration with host governments and local NGOs. Campaign 2001 was the largest regional campaign, and which adopted the Hanoi Declaration that urged Governments in the region to extend the Asian and Pacific Decade, 1993-2002 for another 10 years. ESCAP will support the final regional campaign to be held in Osaka, Japan in October 2002.

4. Information

An important area of information is disability statistics. ESCAP organized two subregional workshops on disability statistics, one in New Delhi, India, and the other in Shanghai, China. In 1997, ESCAP created a Decade homepage:

http://www.unescap.org/decade

Information on the aforementioned workshops and other information, resources, links to disability-related organizations, reports of the TWGDC and most of ESCAP’s publications and activities on disability can be accessed at this website.

5. Accessibility and communication

This area represents one of two flagship programmes of ESCAP, the other being the development and strengthening of SHOs. The first phase of this project focused on the development of regional guidelines for the promotion of non-handicapping environments for persons with disabilities and older persons. The guidelines, published in 1995, cover planning and building design, access policy provisions and legislation, and the promotion of public awareness to improve access. Phase two of the project was focused on the implementation of the guidelines at the municipal level through pilot projects in the cities of Bangkok, Beijing and New Delhi. Among other things, actual accessibility improvements were achieved at all three pilot sites. Additionally, the projects led Governments to examine policies concerning accessibility for people with disabilities and the issuance of improved regulations on the matter.

These and other ESCAP initiatives in access promotion contributed to the formation of a regional network of persons with disabilities, architects and urban planners who are active in training government officials and advocating non-handicapping environments at municipal, provincial and national levels.

6. Education

ESCAP’s activities in this area were directed at supporting the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities within the Education for All campaigns, led by UNESCO. Specific activities covered inclusive education seminars, a forum on the education of children and youth with disabilities and regional surveys on early intervention and education of children and youth with disabilities.

7. Training and employment

ESCAP collaborated with and supported ILO in its efforts to strengthen employment placement services. ESCAP and ILO also contributed to RICAP’s training and employment activities in the region. Other related activities include ESCAP’s input to Global Applied Disability Research and Information Network on employment opportunities for persons with disabilities through technology.

8. Prevention of causes of disability and

9. Rehabilitation services

ESCAP’s work in this area focuses on Community-based Rehabilitation. Activities included organizing workshops and providing advisory and technical assistance on the subject.

10. Assistive devices

ESCAP’s activities in this area resulted in a series of publications on the production and distribution of assistive devices for people with disabilities.

11. Self-help organizations

As mentioned earlier, the second of the two of ESCAP’s flagship programmes is the empowerment of people with disabilities through their self-help organizations (SHOs). Since 1990, in close collaboration with SHOs in the region, ESCAP developed a set of guidelines on establishing and strengthening SHOs; Self-help Organization of Disabled Persons was published in 1991 and translated into five national languages and into English Braille. Other activities in this area include subregional workshops on the management of SHOs, which led to the publication of Management of Self-help Organizations of people with disabilities; regular technical and advisory services in support of SHOs, etc.

12. Other issues supported by ESCAP

Women with disabilities represent one of the most neglected segments of the population. ESCAP, in collaboration with UNIFEM and other members of RICAP developed a project to promote the advancement of women and girls with disabilities. This project led to a publication entitled Hidden Sisters: Women and Girls with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Region. ESCAP also organized a Regional Training Workshop on the Inclusion of Women and Girls with Disabilities in Mainstream Gender Equality Initiatives, in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Summit of Women Mayors and Councillors. This event led to the establishment of the Network of Women with Disabilities.

The links between disability and poverty are increasingly becoming key concerns in ESCAP’s work. One of ESCAP’s activities in this area, was a Field Study-cum-Regional Seminar on Poverty Alleviation among Rural Persons with Disabilities, organized in Hyderabad, India, in December 1999. This seminar was one of the first of its kind to draw attention to the issues of poor persons with disabilities in the rural areas of the developing ESCAP countries.

The technical cooperation trust fund for the Decade, sustained by contributions from Governments, labour organizations and a private company, have enabled ESCAP to promote inter-country cooperation and facilitate national and local implementation of the 12 areas of the Agenda for Action. The Decade fund also provided for personnel support for the secretariat’s Decade promotion activities.

Finally, ESCAP organized regional meetings at various points during the Decade to review progress of the implementation of the Agenda for Action. The first review was held in Bangkok, in 1995, the second in Seoul in 1997 and the third in Bangkok in 1999.

III. Activities of other United Nations agencies

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Among the many activities of FAO in relation to the Agenda for Action were training programmes for farmers with disabilities in mushroom production, integrated pest management, sericulture production, food processing; development of training of trainers’ manual on small enterprise development; establishment of food standards with WHO; advice to policy makers and programme designers to improve women's knowledge of nutrition and food safety; the prevention of accidents in agro and forestry industry operations, etc.

International Labour Organization

ILO has carried out many activities and programmes, among them, the promotion of the role of employers’ organizations and employers groups in increasing opportunities for people with disabilities; promotion of the issues of disability among trade unions; development of an ILO regional website, www.ilo.org/abilityasia as a vehicle for relevant information; collaboration with other UN agencies on issues related to disability, etc.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Among other things, ITU has produced a recommendation to raise funds to develop programmes for women, including women with disabilities and to enhance their skills in ICT.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The UNDP Disability Action Group, which started in 1990, has for its main objective to promote Community-Based Rehabilitation and the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream programmes on sustainable human development. UNDP has also collaborated with other agencies to plan and promote new approaches to the socioeconomic integration of people with disabilities.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

For UNESCO, inclusive approaches to education are seen as a strategy towards achieving Education for All. Among other things, UNESCO has produced various materials on inclusive education, the Mobile Training Team programme to introduce the concept of inclusive education and improve the teaching skills of teachers to meet the special needs in their classrooms; and to establish links between different sectors such as social welfare, health and education, to increase the full participation of children and youth with special educational needs in both in-school and out-school activities.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

UNHCR prioritizes assistance to refugees with disabilities. An example of this is the special quota for resettlement to a third country, for refugees with disabilities. UNHCR also works with other agencies to implement specific projects for refugees with disabilities.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF collaborates with other United Nations agencies on issues related to childhood disability and to build joint technical capacity by developing training materials, workshops, guidelines with indicators for early detection, and designing effective interventions, including access to mainstream education and other social services.

World Health Organization

WHO continues to promote the concept and implementation of community-based rehabilitation. It does this through training workshops on managing and strengthening community-based rehabilitation programmes as well as for incorporating such components into health systems.

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

A major ADB-project on the issue of disability is expected to assist ADB and its structures to have a greater awareness about disability issues and provide tools for including disability issue in its activities. The project is focused on identifying disability issues in poverty reduction, covering four countries in the region and is be completed by the end of November 2002. Other ADB initiatives in relation to disability include a Social Protection Strategy which the Bank adopted in 2001 in which disability issues were introduced.

CONCLUSION

It is evident that without strong support at the regional level, the implementation of the unique regional Decade at the national level would have been difficult. With this same support, this region will implement another decade to achieve an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for persons with disabilities. To achieve this goal, each member of the United Nations system needs to further strengthen its work and join hands to create synergy of its regional cooperation and support.

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	Regional Workshop on Monitoring 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) Bangkok, Thailand, 13-15 October 2004