Seminars

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Organization

• Cluster One
• Cluster Two
• Cluster Three

Scope and Objectives

The Seminar will focus on the substantive aspects on how international norms and standards can contribute to the policy design, planning and evaluation, and institution building to promote full participation of persons with disabilities in social life and development. The Seminar will involve experts from all regions invited in their individual capacity and provide a forum to exchange substantive information on disability policies, norms and standards and the law, to review and assess concepts, methods and practice, and to review, test and evaluate new and experimental approaches to capacity building in the field of disability.

Exchanges of knowledge and experiences at the Seminar and its associated Symposium on promotion and practical application of international norms and standards relating to disability are expected to assist countries identify new and improved concepts, methods and procedures to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate outcomes of policies, strategies and programmes to further equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities.

Seminar immediate objectives.

The Seminar has two objectives:

1. To provide a forum for policy markers, experts in law and policy analysis, substantive representative of the non-governmental community and international organizations to review and discuss (a) emerging issues and trends in international norms and standards relating to persons with disabilities; (b) progress and obstacles encountered in their application in policies, programmes and legislation aimed at equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities; and (c) options to further international exchanges of knowledge and experiences and to build national capacities for advancement of persons with disabilities.
2. To provide opportunities to review, test and evaluate catalytic and innovative approaches to promote awareness and build national capacities to further implement international instruments in the field of disability, in particular the United Nations Standard Rules on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities; special attention will be directed to women with disabilities as agents and beneficiaries of disability action. The role of accessible Internet technologies to support distance collaboration for equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities will be reviewed, assessed and used as appropriate.

The Interregional Seminar and Symposium on International norms and Standards relating to Disability is also a follow-up meeting to the 1998 Berkeley Expert Meeting. The Interregional Seminar and Symposium to be held from 13-17 December 1999 at Hong Kong, SAR is intended to provide a forum to promote awareness and understanding of the existing human rights framework for persons with disabilities and to critically examine current international legal and policy initiatives relating to persons with disabilities. In practical terms, the Interregional Seminar and Symposium aims to assist countries in identifying strategies for ensuring the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities consistent with existing international norms and standards on disability.

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Last updated 03/28/00.