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Workshop Background : Provisional Aide Memoire
The Emerging Social Issues Division of the United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is organizing the
High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-point Review of the Asian
Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012 from 19 to 21 September 2007
in Bangkok, Thailand. The Meeting culminates the process of the mid-point
review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons.
At its resolution 58/4 of 22 May 2002, members and associate members of
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
decided extension of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons for
another decade, from 2003 to 2012. The “Biwako Millennium Framework for
Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society in Asia
and the Pacific” (BMF) was adopted as its defining policy guideline at the
High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Conclude the Asian and Pacific
Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, held in Otsu, Shiga, Japan in October
2002. The extension of the Decade carried forward the goal of the previous
decade, full participation and equality of persons with disabilities and the
commitment made by Governments. The BMF promotes the paradigm shift from a
charity-based approach to a rights-based approach to disability with seven
priority areas for action, 21 time-bound targets to be achieved and 17
strategies to be adopted by 2012.
During the first half of the decade, ESCAP organized 27 workshops and
meetings to promote the BMF implementation in various thematic areas and to
provide tools to monitor its implementation. ESCAP also contributed to the
elaboration of the “International Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities” by submitting the regional draft entitled ‘Bangkok Draft’ to
the global drafting committee.
The BMF sets out in its para 63, “Mid-point review of the Biwako
Millennium Framework for Action should be conducted. Based on the review,
the targets and strategic plans for the second half of the Decade may be
modified and new targets and strategic plans formulated.” In line with the
mandate, in 2004 and 2005, ESCAP disseminated the “Questionnaire on 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)” to its member and associate
member governments with an objective of establishing the baseline data on
the BMF implementation. In 2006, the findings of the Questionnaire were
published in the “Disability at a glance: a profile of 28 countries and
areas in Asia and the Pacific”, which gives a snapshot view of the
disability relevant policy development and demography. At the end of 2006,
ESCAP disseminated the “Questionnaire on the mid-point review of the
implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF)”, to assess the
extent of the achievement of BMF targets and strategies at the middle point
of the Decade. The responses of the Questionnaire are currently compiled.
During the first half of the Decade, ESCAP region has witnessed steady
growth of the number of Governments which instituted disability coordination
mechanism and policies. Rights-based approach has been increasingly visible
in the language of their policies. Significant normative developments on
disability have also taken place, of which the most notable example is the
drafting and adoption of the “International Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities”. The adoption marked the beginning of the new era
in which disability issues are pursued from legal and human rights
perspectives.
Despite the progress, the challenges and obstacles remain. The lack of
availability and quality of disability demographic data and socio-economic
indicators continues to be one of the major problems. Many Governments and
other stakeholders report that the lack of financial and human resources,
technical knowledge and capacities hinder their implementation of the BMF.
In addition, several developing countries in the region have faced
challenges such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, and the Earthquakes of
October 2004 and May 2006, which were unexpected and have had an adverse
impact on the lives of persons with disabilities.
ESCAP resolution 61/8 of 18 May 2005 took note of a need to formulate a
document that would further facilitate the BMF implementation for the second
half of the Decade from 2008 to 2012, and recommended the organization of a
high level intergovernmental meeting in 2007.
Against this background, the process of formulating the supplementary
document begun in 2006. Through a number of consultative processes at ESCAP-organized
meetings, involving Governments and disabled people’s organizations (DPOs),
ESCAP Secretariat prepared the document entitled draft “Biwako Plus Five”,
which provided additional actions and strategies for the existing BMF. The
inputs for the draft included the outcome document of the Expert Group
Meeting on Disability in the Pacific: Strengthening Implementation of the
Biwako Millenium Framework held from 28 to 30 March, in Nadi, Fiji. Upon
receiving the final inputs from the members and associate members, the
Secretariat will finalize the draft for the submission to the High-level
Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-point Review of the Asian Pacific
Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012 to be held from 19 to 21 September
2007.
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