APCD Mission Reports 2002
Disabled People's International (DPI) 6th World Assembly, Sapporo, Japan
15-18 October 2002
DPI 6th World Assembly,
Sapporo, Japan
This DPI World Assembly organized by persons with disabilities had approximately 3000 participants from 109 countries and 4000 volunteers and staff members attending. The main theme of the Assembly was "Freedom from Barriers: Celebrating Diversity and Rights" due to the living conditions of persons with disabilities facing deplorable conditions, isolated and excluded from their communities by barriers of policy, environment and attitudes. Forty different workshops such as Human Rights, Independent Living, Access, etc. were held concurrently.
Ms. Yukiko Nakanishi, President of the Asia Disability Institute and Chairperson of JICA's Advisory Committee on APCD chaired a workshop on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, discussing "Outcomes Learned". This was followed by a presentation and video of the APCD project by Ms. Naoko Ito, JICA Expert explaining APCD's vision, goals and stakeholders. One Japanese participant previously confined to an institution for severely disabled persons stated he was so pleased to learn that APCD will play an important role in promoting independent living of persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Yet another stated, "I am convinced that APCD is a tangible response to the Asia-Pacific regional needs on disability".
Since PWDs rights under the United Nations (UN) Conventions are generally marginalized in monitoring procedures, DPI made the following declarations: "1) We demand a specific international human rights convention that is reflective of the full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and a strong convention-monitoring mechanism to ensure the credibility, legitimacy, and efficacy of the convention, 2) demand a voice of our own in the development of this instrument and consultation at all levels on all matters of concern, 3) request the UN Secretary-General to continue providing facilities for development of an International Human Rights Convention for disabled persons, 4) urge all UN members to support this convention and establish a Voluntary Fund, 5) educate the public and their political representatives on the need and benefits of the convention, and 6) encourage every country to adopt and implement anti-discrimination legislation and policies that ensure equalization of opportunity for persons with disabilities".
[See more detail: http://www.dpi.org/en/events/world_assembly/full.htm]
Osaka Forum, Osaka, Japan, 21-23 October 2002Osaka Forum
The Osaka Forum was held in Osaka, Japan from 21-23 October 2002 with the theme "Partnership for Disability Rights." Two thousand and four hundred persons of 55 nationalities representing governments, UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations working for/with/of people with disabilities participated. The Forum consisted of three international and one Japanese national conferences: 1) the 12th Rehabilitation International, Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference, 2) Campaign 2002 to Promote the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 3) the International Research Meeting on Vocational Rehabilitation, and 4) the 25th National Rehabilitation Conference.
Dr. Benja Chonlatanon (left) and Mr. Yutaka Takamine (middle) at panel discussion in Osaka Forum
The theme, "Partnership for Disability Rights", was symbolic of the current trend of disability-concerned work in the Asia-Pacific region. More recently, diverse disability-concerned organizations work together to achieve their common goals, beyond differences of disability, individuals' professional status and organizational status. Dr. Benja Chonlatanon, Chairperson of the Thai Preparatory Committee on APCD gave a presentation on the APCD Project, acknowledging the significant contributions of persons with disabilities thus far. Representatives of Inclusion International (II) and WBF articulated their desire to collaborate with APCD and expressed their deep appreciation for the initiatives of the Governments of Japan and Thailand.
Mr. Yutaka Takamine, Social Affairs Officer of UN ESCAP, stressed that APCD, which targets people with disabilities in its human resource development program, has great potential to contribute to the region. In the Forum, there was an epoch-making dialogue, "Beyond the Asian and Pacific Decade: New Framework for Regional Cooperation", among the Asia-Pacific regional representatives of the International Disability Alliance (IDA)-affiliated organizations.
They were the Disabled Peoples' International (DPI), Inclusion International (II), Rehabilitation International (RI), World Blind Union (WBU), World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), World Federation of the Deafblind (WFDB), and the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP). The Meeting declared to: 1) adopt a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, 2) promote the second Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 3) urge relevant regional and national organizations to participate in and give support to the Asian and Pacific Disability Forum (APDF), and 4) make active efforts to exchange experience and work jointly with the African Decade of Disabled Persons (2000-2009), the Arab Decade of Disabled Persons (2003-2012) and the European Year of People with Disabilities (2003).
[See more detail: http://www.secretariat.ne.jp/]
Otsu High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting to Conclude
the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993 - 2002)
Otsu, Japan, 25 - 28 October 2002
APCD's Role in the UN ESCAP Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free, Rights-based Society for Persons with Disability in Asia and the Pacific
High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting Otsu City, Japan
The High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to Conclude the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, held in Otsu city, Japan from 25 to 28 October 2002 was opened by Mr. Yoshitsugu Kunimatsu, Governor of Shiga Prefecture. Other distinguished guests included H.E. Mr. Tetsuro Yano, Senior Vice-Minister of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Issei Anan, Parliamentary Secretary of the Japanese Cabinet Office, Mr. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of UN ESCAP as well as 300 high-level government representatives from 27 ESCAP countries.
Main purposes of this meeting were: (1) to conclude the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, (2) to highlight the best policy and program development practices in the implementation of the Agenda for Action, and (3) to adopt the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) for Action: Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific. Leaders of people with disabilities from developing countries actively participated. Mr. Satoshi Fukushima, Associate Professor of the University of Tokyo, who is deaf and blind, stressed in his keynote address that, "An inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society, which respects and supports all the minority groups, will be able to achieve a fully sustainable development". The BMF consists of 21 targets and 17 strategies supporting the achievement towards the framework for action.
The Meeting adopted the BMF for Action as a "clear guide" for the next decade, to ensure that the paradigm shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-based approach be put into practice to protect the civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights of persons with disabilities. The Meeting recognized the importance of the varied sub-regional priorities and acknowledged that greater emphasis on sub-regional activities and their implementation would help facilitate achieving the targets of the BMF for Action. The Meeting also noted that the involvement of civil society, self-help organizations, and related non-governmental organizations are essential to pursue the targets and strategies in the new decade. Various stakeholders of disability issues actively participated in this meeting to conclude the implementation of the Decade and adopt the framework for action which states that APCD is the Asia-Pacific regional center to implement regional collaboration, indicating, " Governments, the United Nations system, civil society organizations and the private sectors should collaborate, support and take advantage of the training and communication capability of the center.
[See more detail: http://www.unescap.org/Decade/otsu.htm]
