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Jakarta, 15 to 17 January 2002 |
Interregional
Consultative Expert Meeting
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Jakarta, 15 to 17 January 2002 |
Interregional
Consultative Expert Meeting
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Report and Recommendations
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The "Interregional Consultative Expert Meeting on Disability-Sensitive Policy Design and Evaluation for Sustainable Livelihoods for All" was jointly convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, Jakarta Country Office and the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia from 15 to 17 January, 2002 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Institute for Social Development Studies served as project cooperating agent and assisted with substantive preparations for the meeting.
The meeting, co-financed by the United Nations "Development Account Project 00/01H, Capacity Building for Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities," responds to Project Objective Two, "building national capacities for sustainable livelihoods, social services and safety nets by, for and with persons with disabilities."
The meeting was convened to provide a forum for international disability experts to engage in a strategic assessment of the primary issues and trends related to sustainable livelihoods, social services and safety nets for people with disabilities, and to then formulate recommendations based on this assessment for policy makers, scholars and practitioners in the field attempting to develop policies and strategies to further the equalization of social and economic opportunities for people with disabilities.
At the Millennium Summit, held at the United Nations in September 2000, heads of State and Government committed themselves to "making the right to development a reality for everyone." [1]
Commitment Three of the "Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development" [2] commits member States to, "promoting the goal of full employment as a basic priority of our economic and social policies, and to enabling all men and women to attain and secure sustainable livelihoods through freely chosen productive employment and work."
With the adoption of the World Program of Action Concerning Disabled Persons [3] and the "Standard Rules for the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities" [4] the member States of the United Nations signified that people with disabilities have the right to full participation in social life and development on the basis of equality.
The "Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development," in its chapter 3, "Expansion of Productive Employment", section (d), calls for: "enhanced employment opportunities for groups with specific needs." [5]
The 1997 report of the Secretary-General on follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development on the priority theme of "productive employment and sustainable livelihoods" notes that:
…The range of employment opportunities needs to be widened. Much can be done by ensuring that regulations and public policy do not discriminate against persons with disabilities and by eliminating the negative stereotyping of persons with disabilities. To the extent possible, disabled persons should be encouraged and assisted to obtain employment in the 'open market' and when this is not practical, appropriate adjustment in the workplace to accommodate persons with disabilities, and alternate forms of employment should be emphasized. [6]
Universal and equitable access to basic social services for all is another of the priority goals to which Governments committed themselves in the "Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development," adopted at the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995). At its thirty-seventh session in 1999, the United Nations Commission for Social Development concluded that, "universal access by all to social services is a central goal for social and economic development policies (paragraph 4)," "systems for provision of social services must not exclude or discriminate against persons with disabilities", and "[d]elivery of social services to people with disabilities should ensure their functional independence for active participation (paragraph 18)." [7]
The High-Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council session on integrated and coordinated implementation and follow-up of the major United Nations conferences and summits concluded in July 1998 that,
Poverty eradication and improving the living conditions of people everywhere should be the overriding objective of the Council's efforts to ensure an integrated and coordinated follow-up to [global] conferences. [8]
Recent reports of the Secretary-General on implementation of the World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons [9] have described activities of Governments to formulate and implement a range of national and regional-level disability policies, initiatives and actions to promote social and economic rights for their citizens with disabilities. However, a report of the Special Rapporteur on Disability of the Commission for Social Development has noted that development cooperation activities of the United Nations system have so far failed "to integrate disability measures in their mainstream activities." [10] In his view this has contributed to the limited integration of disability issues in policies, plans and programmes at the local, national and regional levels. The Special Rapporteur suggests that there is a need to strengthen the substantive treatment of disability issues and people with disabilities, and to better integrate them into the mainstream technical cooperation activities of the United Nations. He draws attention to the need to strengthen advisory services of the United Nations to support governments on requests concerning policy design, planning and evaluation for equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities.
The meeting brought leading disability experts from around the world to work with disability experts, policymakers, practitioners and advocates from Indonesia on issues related to sustainable livelihoods and social safety nets for persons with disabilities. It thus provided a very important forum for the international exchange of knowledge and national and international experiences with policies and strategies to foster the inclusion, empowerment and social and economic well being of people with disabilities.
The meeting's principal outcome was a strategic framework and set of recommendations for inclusionary and empowering disability policies and strategies, for use by policymakers and disability practitioners in the formulation of policy options to foster sustainable livelihoods for persons with disabilities, and to facilitate the provision of appropriate social and economic safety nets for persons with disabilities, particularly in developing countries. The strategic framework and recommendations are intended to identify the essential elements of cost-effective and appropriate disability strategies and policies. The international experts also produced a series of working papers on selected topics related to sustainable livelihoods. All of this material is contained in an informative website developed specifically for the meeting. [11]
Participation in the meeting was by invitation and included individuals with considerable experience in policy design, planning and development, and evaluation of livelihoods, social services and safety nets in countries. In selecting the participants the meeting organizers aimed to achieve representative regional coverage, with emphasis on developing countries, and representative participation with respect to disciplinary background, experience in policy processes and policy planning and evaluation, and personal knowledge and/or experience with disability issues in low, medium and high income countries.
There were eight international experts and 17 Indonesian experts in attendance in Jakarta. A team of five distinguished international consultants supported these experts. Assisted by the Meeting's Jakarta based information technology consultant, the other four consultants collaborated in the workings of the Meeting via the internet from Washington D.C. and New York on priority topics, including disability related norms and standards, recent developments concerning the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities [12], and the current status of the process of implementing the World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons. A full listing of the experts and expert consultants is provided in Annex I.
HE Mr. Bachtiar Chamsyah, Minister of Social Affairs for the Republic of Indonesia, opened the meetings. Additional opening remarks were made by Dr. Pudji Hastuti of the Ministry of Social Affairs, and Ms. Bonaria Siahaan of the United Nations Development Program.
Ms. Siahaan welcomed the participants on behalf of the UNDP and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and highlighted several important aspects of this meeting. She emphasized the importance of the meeting, which addresses the fundamental issue of the equalization of opportunities for all, including for persons with disabilities.
Ms. Siahaan reported that, together with BAPPENAS and the BPS-Statistics Indonesia, UNDP was jointly launching the first Indonesian National Human Development Report, which links democracy, economic growth and human development. She further reported that a key message and argument of this report is:
the need to build a new social compact for Indonesia - a consensus that renews a shared commitment to human development, establishing that all Indonesians - as citizens of Indonesia - are entitled to nationally mandated standards of human development including the opportunity/access to sustainable livelihoods and basic social services.
Ms. Siahaan reported that UNDP Indonesia was rethinking a number of critical development issues, such as the role of the state and civil society, the close interaction between poverty and inequality, the importance of human skills and knowledge in determining the pace and the distribution of future economic growth, the critical role of institutions and political systems in realising the gains from market economies and the emergent problems of human security and disease transmission arising from rapid globalisation.
She then asserted that the "human factor", however defined, lies at the centre of the development agenda, and assured the participants that UNDP, together with other parts of the UN system such as UNDESA, "remain committed to assisting countries in pursuing broader human development goals." To honour this commitment, Ms. Siahaan reported that UNDP is "playing an active part in sharing their own experiences and facilitating exchange of experiences and information among countries," with these Jakarta meetings on sustainable livelihoods being a part of that process.
Ms Siahaan then conveyed her gratitude to the Minister of Social Affairs and the whole Ministry, particularly the Director Generals of Social Rehabilitation and BPS, for arranging and hosting the event, and to the project secretariat and other concerned parties for organizing the seminar. She concluded by expressing her appreciation to the resource persons and participants attending this meeting.
Dr. Pudji reported on behalf of the Organizing Committee to the Minister. She first offered thankfulness to God Almighty for the blessing to the important event, after which she extended a warm welcome to all of the participants and international consultants, with the hope that they would have an enjoyable stay.
Dr. Pudji then explained the specific objectives of the expert group meeting, indicated the date and venue of the meeting, and detailed the number of participants. Then she highlighted the agenda. Dr. Pudji concluded by inviting the Minister for Social Affairs to convey his opening remarks and officially open the meeting.
H.E. Mr. Bachtiar Chamsyah welcomed the participants and expressed his pleasure that Indonesia had been selected as the venue for the meeting. He then expressed his appreciation for the chance for Indonesian disability experts to work with international experts to explore possibilities for enhancing opportunities for persons with disabilities.
After expressing Indonesia's commitment to enhancing the social welfare of persons with disabilities, H.E. Mr. Chamsyah then outlined Indonesia's recent policy initiatives in support of that commitment. These include Law Number 4/1997 re. Persons with Disabilities and Government Regulation Number 43/1998 re. The Measure of Social Welfare Enhancement for Persons with Disabilities.
H.E. Mr. Chamsyah then explained that the Government's vision of social welfare is
"social welfare by and for all." He expressed the view of the Indonesian
Government that every citizen, including those with disabilities, has the right to live in
prosperity, and explained that this view dictates policies and strategies that are
directed to empowerment, partnership and participation. He explained that Indonesia is
therefore in the process of changing its social welfare paradigm from one based on charity
to one based on community empowerment.
H.E. Mr. Chamsyah, closed his remarks by thanking the participants and the meeting
sponsors, and by thanking God Almighty for his blessings on this important meeting.
The work of the meeting was divided between;
To complete the work of the meeting, the participating experts adopted an agenda consisting entirely of plenary sessions. This agenda is contained in Annex II.
Robert L. Metts, Ph.D. (United States)
Associate Professor of Economics, University of Nevada, Reno
Chief Executive Officer of Disability Policy and Planning InstituteLeszek Sibilski, Ph. D. (Poland)
World Bank ConsultantJoseph Kwok, R.S.W., Ph.D., J.P., (Hong Kong)
Chairman, Steering Committee Quality Evaluation Centre
Associate Prof., Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong KongFranz Xaver Wolfmayr, (Austria)
Employee Association of Disabled PersonsVenus Ilagan, (Philippines)
Regional Chairperson, Disabled Persons International Asia-Pacific RegionNawaf Kabbara, (Lebanon)
President, Arab Organization of Disabled PeopleMr. Bali Moniaga (Indonesia)
Minister Counsellor
Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United NationsDr. Handojo Tjandrakusuma, (Indonesia)
Director, CBR Development and Training Center
Dr. Pudji Hastuti, MSc. PH
Director General for Social Services
Ministry of Health and Social WelfareDr. H. Sudibyo Markus
Chairman, Board of Directors
Institute for Social Development StudiesMrs. Soegeng Soepari
Rehabilitation International, National Secretary for Indonesia
Board of Directors, CBR Development and Training CenterMrs. Sri Kastilah
Assistant Deputy for Disabled Persons and Aging Welfare,
Office of Coordinator Ministry for People WelfareMr. Abdul Rifai Mas
Director of National Vocational Rehabilitation CenterMr. Hendarto Hendarmin
Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Deafness and Hearing ImpairmentMr. M. Primanto Hendrasmoro
Directorate of International Organization,
Ministry of Foreign AffairsOtje Soedioto, SH
Manager, Marketing and Development
PROEM IndonesiaMr. HTA Ashari
Director, Provision and Placement of Manpower, Ministry of ManpowerMrs. Salfrida N. Ramadhan KH
Director of Supervision and Evaluation of Human Rights
Ministry of Justice and Human RightsMr. Marty M. Natalegawa
Director of International Organization
Ministry of Foreign AffairsMr. Syahruddin
Rehabilitation Centre for DisabledMs. J.L. Mimi Maryani
PERTUNI (Indonesian Visually Disabled Persons Association)Mr. Gde Jaya Usada
Placement Officer, Pro M Disabled PlacementMr. Irwanto
Atma Jaya Catholic UniversityMs. Lola Aswin Hadis
Indonesian National Council for Social WelfareMr. Mu'man Nuryana
Training and Research Development Specialist/ Policy Analysis Expert
Ministry of Social Affairs
Scott Brown, Ph.D., (United States)
Policy Analysis ExpertMaria Cristina Sara-Serrano Mathiason, (Chile)
President, Associates for International Management ServicesJohn Mathiason, (United States)
Managing Director, Associates for International Management ServicesLeo Valdes, (Philippines and Canada)
Distant Digital and Internet ServicesEdward Batt (Indonesia)
International Information Technology Consultant
1 General Assembly resolution 55/2, para. 11 <http://www.un.org/millennium/>.
2 Report of the World Summit for Social Development, United Nations General Assembly document A/CONF.166/9 <http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf166/aconf166-9.htm>.
3 General Assembly document A/37/351/Add.1 and Add.1/Corr.1 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa00.htm>.
4 General Assembly Resolution 48/96 of 20 December 1993, annex; in particular Rule 5 -Accessibility, Rule 6 -Education, Rule 7 - Employment, Rule 8 - Income maintenance and social security, and Rule 21 - Technical and economic cooperation <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm>.
5 Ibid.
6 United Nations Commission for Social Development document E/CN.5/1997/3, para. 18.
7 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1999, Supplement no. 6; Commission for Social Development, Report on the thirty-seventh session (9-16 February 2000), resolution 37/1, "Social services for all" (E/1999/26).
8 Economic and Social Council document E/1998/90.
9 United Nations General Assembly documents A/54/388 and Add.1, and A/56/169 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disa54e0.htm; and http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA56169e1.htm>..
10 United Nations General Assembly document A/52/56, annex, para 135 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dismsre0.htm>.
11 The address for the website is http://www.worldenable.net/livelihoods/default.htm.
12 The United Nations "Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities", General Assembly resolution 49/96, annex of 220 December 1993 < http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm>.
13 The United Nations "Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities", General Assembly resolution 49/96, annex of 220 December 1993 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm>.
14 General Assembly document A/37/351/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII, recommendation I (IV), adopted by General Assembly resolution 37/52 of 3 December 1983 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa00.htm>.
15 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948 <http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/index.htm>; see also the "Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons", General Assembly resolution 3447 (XXX) of 9 December 1975 <http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/index.htm>.
16 Seven principles of universal design are described in What is Universal Design (Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University, 1999): (1) Equitable use - the design is useful and relevant to a wide group of users; (2) Flexibility in use - the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities; (3) Simple and intuitive use - the design is easy to understand regardless of the knowledge, experience, language skills or concentration level of the user; (4) Perceptive information - the design communicates information effectively to the user regardless of the ambient condition or the sensory abilities of the user; (5) Tolerance for error - the design minimizes the hazards and adverse consequences of unintended actions of the user; (6) Low physical effort - the design can be used easily, efficiently and comfortably with a minimum of fatigue; and (7) Size and space for approach and use - the size and space for approach, reach, manipulation and use should be appropriate regardless of the body size, posture or mobility of the user. See also the report on the "International Seminar on Environmental Accessibility; planning and design of accessible urban development in developing countries (Beirut, 30 November - 3 December 1999)" <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disisea.htm>.
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