APCD Mission Reports 2002
Disabled People's International Asia- Pacific Region, The 8th Regional Assembly and the 20th Regional Training Seminar on Capacity Building of Person with Disabilities Shanghai, China, October 8-12, 2002
The regional assembly and training seminar consisted of participants from 28 countries within the Asia-Pacific region. On the opening day, APCD Chief Adviser, Prof. Akiie Ninomiya, introduced APCD at the Plenary III session. He encouraged persons with disabilities to be active and cooperative stakeholders in the APCD project, as well as policy-makers; he also encouraged Disabled Peoples' International, Asian and Pacific Region to support and collaborate with APCD.
The 20th DPI Asia Pacific Regional Training Seminar, Shanghai, China
On the third day, Ms. Venus Ilagan, Chairperson of DPI, Asia-Pacific Region chaired a panel discussion on "Post Decade Action in Connection with APCD, Convention and the Millennium Framework of Action". Ms. Yukiko Nakanashi, Chairperson of the APCD Committee Japan, Mr. Topong Kulkhanchit and Mr. Prayad Punong-ong, Thai APCD Sub-committee members, and Mr. Shoji Nakanishi, APCD HRD Collaborator, as well as Mr. Akiie Ninomiya participated in creative discussion. The Shanghai Declaration of DPI clearly stated that "DPI will collaborate with APCD and its program in order to promote the empowerment of persons with disabilities and a barrier-free society.
The Disabled Peoples' International Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly declared concerns on: 1) working towards increasing the national membership with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, 2) organizing a "Leadership Training Seminar" for young leaders in the disability area, 3) empowering women with disabilities as leaders in disability areas, 4) promoting "Independent Living", 5) achieving a barrier-free society for persons with disabilities, and 6) supporting persons with disabilities' grass-root level organizations.
At this event, it was also declared to commit a joint effort in the following areas: 1) the UN International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targeting Human Rights of People with Disabilities in the Asia-Pacific Region, 2) the implementation of UNESCAP's Biwako Millennium Framework for Action, 3) to collaborate with the Asia- Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), and 4) to achieve a comprehensive and integral international connection to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
