Workshop Background : Aide Memoire
The Emerging Social Issues Division of the United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) is organizing the ‘Expert
Group Meeting on the Promotion of Social and Economic Participation of
Persons with Disabilities towards the Biwako Plus Five’, which will take
place in Bangkok, Thailand from 27 to 28 February 2007. The Expert Group
Meeting is a follow up to the ‘First
Session of the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) Stakeholders’ Coordination
Meeting’ held from 17 to 19 July 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand; and ‘Agents
of Change: Workshop on Self-help Organisations of Persons with Disabilities
(SHOs), Related Family and Parents Associations and Women with Disabilities
towards Biwako Plus Five’ held from 18 to 20 October 2006 in
Bangkok, Thailand. It serves as a preparatory process for the ‘High Level
Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-point Review of the Asian Pacific
Decade of Disabled Persons’ to be held from 19 to 21 September 2007 in
Bangkok, Thailand.
Context
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) was adopted in Otsu City, Shiga, Japan by 28 Governments at the “High
Level Intergovernmental Meeting to Conclude the Asian and Pacific Decade of
Disabled Persons” in October 2002. The BMF is the regional policy
guideline for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012.
It promotes the paradigm shift from a charity based approach to a rights
based approach on disability with seven priority areas for action, 21 time
bound targets to be achieved and 17 strategies to be utilized by 2012.
In line with the mandate set out in the BMF, ESCAP in the first half of
the decade organized 27 workshops and meetings to promote the BMF
implementation in specific thematic areas and to provide tools to monitor
its implementation. ESCAP also contributed towards the elaboration of the
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. To have
an overview of the BMF implementation, 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)’ in 2004 and 2005 to
Associate/Member States. The findings of the Questionnaire were published in
2006, ‘Disability at a Glance: a Profile of 28 countries and Areas in Asia
and the Pacific’, which gives an overview of the policy development and
disability relevant demography. At the end of 2006, ESCAP disseminated the
‘Questionnaire on the mid-point review of the implementation of the Biwako
Millennium Framework (BMF)’, the responses of which are awaited.
The BMF sets out in para 63, “A 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.” Also, ESCAP resolution 61/8 of
18 May 2005 recommends the organization of a high level intergovernmental
meeting in 2007 to consider the document that would further facilitate the
BMF implementation.
During the first half of the Decade, significant normative developments
on disability have taken place, of which the most notable one is the
drafting and adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities. At the same time, the developing countries have
faced unforeseeable challenges like the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, and
the Earthquakes of October 2004 and May 2006, which have had an adverse
impact on the lives of persons with disabilities.
In view of the afore mentioned mandate of the BMF, the developments that
have taken place since its adoption, and the challenges facing the Asian and
Pacific countries, it is essential to review the strategies and policies
adopted in the first half of the Decade and to modify and formulate new
strategies and policies for the second half of the Decade, entitled the
‘Biwako Plus Five’ which would supplement the BMF for the second half of the
Decade.
Objectives
The overall goal of the Expert Group Meeting is to enable experts to
review the achievements made in implementing the BMF, the global and
regional developments that took place and identify the key issues. Based on
these, the Meeting will examine the structure and outline of the Biwako Plus
Five presented by the secretariat and prepare a ‘preliminary working draft
of the Biwako Plus Five’ with the agreed structure and outline.
Topics to be Covered
Topics to be covered in the Expert Group Meeting would include:
- Review of the process towards the ‘High level Intergovernmental
meeting on the Mid-point Review of the Asian Pacific Decade of Disabled
Persons’ to be held from 19 to 21 September 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand,
in which the Biwako Plus Five will be adopted;
- Review of the progress and challenges on the BMF implementation
during the first half of the Decade;
- Review of the relevant global norms and developments that have taken
place during the first half of the decade;
- Review of the impact of disasters and conflict situations on persons
with disabilities;
- Discussion on the convergence between the International Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Biwako Millennium
Framework for Action and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
- Preparing a ‘Preliminary Working Draft of the Biwako Plus Five’ with
agreed outline and structure
Expected Outputs and Outcomes
The Expert Group Meeting is expected to result in the following outcomes:
- Report of the Meeting
- A preliminary working draft of the Biwako Plus Five
The preliminary working draft of the Biwako Plus Five would be presented
at the ‘Second Session of the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) Stakeholders
Coordination Meeting’ to be held from 1 to 2 March 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand
as an input for the ‘High Level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-point
Review of the Asian Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons’ to be held from 19
to 21 September 2007.
Method of Work
Experts will discuss and provide comments on presentations or background
documents prepared by the ESCAP secretariat.
Profile of Participants
The Expert Group Meeting will be attended by 10-12 Experts from various
countries in the Asia and the Pacific. The Experts would be invited on the
basis of their individual expertise in drafting and promotion of the BMF as
well as the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, and practice and knowledge of disability inclusive
development.
The documentation and discussion papers provided by ESCAP would include:
- Provisional Agenda
- Aide Mémoire
- 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)
- The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, and the Optional Protocol
- A comparison of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, the Biwako Millennium Framework and the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs)
- Summary of the BMF implementation in the first decade
- Preliminary outline of the Biwako Plus Five
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