Programme :
Joint speech at ESCAP/APDF Workshop on the
UN Convention
By Mr. Eiichi Takada and Mr. Ryosuke Matsui
11 October 2004
In Japan the Preparatory Committee of Japan Disability Forum (JDF), of
which secretariat is located at Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of
Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD), was newly established in October 2003 as
a nation-wide disability NGO alliance. Its members consist of major national
disability organizations, including Japanese Federation of Organizations of
Physically Disabled Persons, Japan Council on Disability (JD), Japan
National Assembly of Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI), Japan Federation
of the Blind (JFB), Japanese Federation of the Deaf (JFD), Inclusion Japan,
Japan Federation of Family Organizations with Psychiatric Disabilities,
Japan Federation of the Deaf-Blind, Japan National Group of Mentally
Disabled People, JSRPD and National Council of Social Welfare in Japan.
JDF is to be formally established in Tokyo on October 31, 2004 with the
major purpose of promoting (1) earlier drafting and adoption of a UN
Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, (2) Biwako Millennium
Framework (BMF) and Asia and Pacific Disability Forum (APDF), (3) earlier
enactment of an anti-discrimination law for persons with disabilities, as
well as (4) monitoring and consolidating the 10 year Basic Program for
Persons with Disabilities (2003~2012), and the Five-year Plan for
Implementation of Priority Measures (2003~2007), from disability NGOs’ side.
Even before the establishment of the JDF Preparatory Committee, the
representatives of major disability NGOs have been regularly holding
meetings with the Government, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Ministry of
Education and Science, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of National
Land and Transportation, etc. to discuss a joint strategy towards the UN
Convention.
And as a result, since the 2nd Ad Hoc Committee a disability NGO
representative has been included as a member of the Japanese delegation to
the Committee.
The JDF Preparatory Committee prepared a discussion paper on the draft
Convention and distributed it to the participants of the 3rd Ad Hoc
Committee. And the members of JDF delegation to the Ad Hoc Committee
actively took part in the discussions of Disability Caucus to develop a
joint disability NGO strategy for the Convention.
On the occasion of the 3rd and 4th Ad Hoc Committee meetings the JDF
delegation organized, in collaboration with the Japan’s Permanent Mission to
the UN, side events on ‘reasonable accommodations’ , inviting several
internationally well-known experts on this issues as the speakers, which
were well received by many delegates from other countries, who participated
in the events.
Locally, most of the JDF Preparatory Committee member organizations had a
series of consultative discussions with the government and political parties
concerning the revision of the Fundamental Law on Persons with Disabilities,
which was originally enacted in 1970, and revised in 1993. As a result the
Fundamental Law was drastically revised this May. One of the key articles,
which were newly included in this Law, is an anti-discrimination clause of
persons with disabilities on the ground of his/her disability. This revised
Law is to be reviewed within 5 years, taking into consideration
international and local developments in the disability arena, including the
expected drafting and adoption of an international convention on the rights
of persons with disabilities.
This year JDF Preparatory Committee organized two national seminars on
the UN Convention: one in Tokyo in February and the other in Kyoto in August
to raise public awareness of, and to mobilize support for the UN Convention.
Representatives of ESCAP and the Japanese Government were also invited to
these seminars as keynote speakers and panelists. We strongly believe that
through these meetings and seminars we could consolidate the good
relationships with the Government to work together to achieve the objectives
of BMF and the UN Convention. And as a major partner with the Government JDF
will be able to play a leading role in further development and
implementation of disability policies and programs in Japan in the coming
years.
Now, Mr. Takada is going to give you detailed information on the national
seminar on the UN Convention in Kyoto, in which he played a key role in its
organization and coordination.
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