Programme :
Opening statement by Mr Kim Hak-Su
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary,
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)
Delivered by Mr. Shigeru Mochida
Deputy Executive Secretary and Offier-in-Charge, a.i. UNESCAP
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), I am very pleased to welcome all of you to
this UNESCAP Workshop on Regional Follow-up to the Fifth Session and
Preparation for the Sixth Session 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.
I would like to express my appreciation to each of you for
accepting our invitation. We are indeed very fortunate to be able to
bring together such a distinguished body of experts to discuss the important
subject of this Workshop.
This regional workshop is specifically designed for promoting dialogue
between civil society groups and high-ranking public officials who are
decision-makers in sectors important to persons with disabilities, in the
process of drafting the International Convention on Persons with
Disabilities. We are particularly pleased to have many distinguished
leaders of civil society, NGOs, national human rights commissions, self-help
groups, lawyers, and activists attending this workshop. The Workshop is of
great significance because we aim to formulate a joint political statement
in support of the process of drafting the Convention.
I would also like to express our gratitude to the members of the UN
Inter-agency Thematic Working Group on Disability Concerns for their
significant support to UNESCAP’s efforts to promote the full participation
and equality of persons with disabilities, not only through the
co-organization of this particular Workshop but also through many other
activities and initiatives during the second Asian and Pacific Decade of
Disabled Persons.
My appreciation further goes to the Governments of Japan and
China for their financial support for organizing this Workshop through
their annual contribution to the UNESCAP disability trust fund.
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are at a critical juncture in history with regard to persons
with disabilities. Although the elaboration of a disability-specific
international human rights convention has been the subject of discussion for
more than 15 years, the process began to gain momentum only recently.
The process towards the Convention is particularly timely in our
region, as Governments in the Asian and Pacific region proclaimed the
extension of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons for another 10
years from 2003 to 2012. Some of you may recall that at the High-level
Intergovernmental Meeting in Japan in October 2002, “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 as the major regional policy guideline for the new Decade. As you
may be aware, in 2007 UNESCAP is going to organize a High-level
Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-Point Review of the BMF,
entitled “BMF plus 5 and Forward-Looking Strategies”. Based on the
review, the current targets and strategies for the second half of the Decade
may be restructured and a new set of action plans formulated.
In light of the BMF mandates and the Convention, this workshop intends to
produce an action-oriented joint statement, focusing on key principles and
strategies in the process towards the Convention. Our joint statement will
be officially submitted to the forthcoming Sixth Session of the Ad Hoc
Committee in New York, and our message will be conveyed to the members of
the International Community, through the UNESCAP-hosted Side Event, “ESCAP
Workshop on Disability Inclusive Technical Cooperation”, to be held on 11
August, in conjunction with the Sixth Session. UNESCAP is committed to
continue its leading role in the process towards the Convention at the
global level, as well.
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The primary aim of the current Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons
is to promote the paradigm shift towards empowerment of all persons with
disabilities. This Workshop and the broader framework within
which it is conducted represent a common regional endeavour and determination to
achieve this goal, based on our shared aspiration for an inclusive,
barrier-free and rights-based society, in which all people with different
abilities can fully enjoy their rights on an equal basis.
I wish you success in your deliberations and a pleasant stay in Bangkok.
Thank you.
___________
Return to top |
