UN ESCAP Working Group Ad-hoc Meeting
The Operational Guide on the Implementation of the Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032
| Working Group Ad-hoc Session Overview |
The new Working Group was established based upon the decision by the Commission at its 2022 session on the composition of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032.
The ad-hoc meeting focused on presentations and discussions on the priorities of the Jakarta Declaration for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032 the Operational Guide on the Implementation of the Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032, as well as resource mobilization for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032.
(a) Priorities of Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032
(b) Operational Guide on the Implementation of the Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032
(c) Resource mobilization for the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023–2032
APDF statement, drafted by John Lee, Reena Lee and Joseph Kwok:
Comments and Suggestions Overview:
The feedback of the APDF on the six priority areas for accelerated action in the Operational Guide for the Implementation of the Jakarta Declaration centers on a few key themes:
While the Jakarta Declaration should maintain the momentum of the goals and successes of the Incheon Strategy and Beijing Declaration, it also needs to refocus and distinguish the current and future state of the world and the valuable contributions of persons with disabilities.
Priority Areas:
5.2.1 Priority Area 1: Harmonize national legislations with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, once the Convention has been ratified or acceded to
Add to Section II. Institutional mechanisms:
“Member states of ESCAP are encouraged to share and promote relevant and significant court cases from their national independent disability commissions and rights grievance redress tribunals to ESCAP so they can promote these cases (online) for general viewing of all member states.”
5.2.2 Priority Area 2: Promote the meaningful participation of women and men with disabilities of all ages
Add to Section I. Legislative action and policy reform:
“ESCAP should encourage member states to involve mainstream and government supported educational institutions, youth and women’s organizations to create targeted, easy-to-read or digitally accessible information to promote political participation, especially to accommodate persons with learning disabilities, including those under guardianship.”
Add to Section II. Institutional mechanisms:
“Member states should include persons with disabilities and their advocacy groups in the development and revision of disaster risk reduction planning given the projected increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, pandemics, armed conflicts and effects of climate change.”
Add to Section III. Capacity development:
“Member states should ensure the disaster risk reduction agencies and first responder are trained on up to date with disability-inclusive disaster management guidance.”
5.2.3 Priority Area 3: Improve accessibility with special attention to the distinct needs of persons with diverse disabilities and of women, children and older persons with disabilities
Add to Section I. Legislative action and policy reform:
“More attention should specifically be given to developing disability-inclusive digital environments to promote greater accessibility as we move forward into the 4th Decade of Persons with Disabilities.”
Add to Section II. Institutional mechanism A:
(…inter-ministerial accessibility board) “in accordance with all aspects of the life of persons with disability,” (whose features and purpose…)
5.2.4 Priority Area 4: Galvanize the power of the private sector, including its resources, technological innovations and talents, to advance disability-inclusive development
Add to Section II. Institutional mechanism A:
“ESCAP, through its member states, should promote the priorities of Jakarta Declaration and the associated Operation Guidelines to regional business and development platforms and forums. Connecting with the Belt and Road Forum, Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF), Arab International Investors Forum (AIIF) and Asian Development Bank should be actively pursued. Connecting with regional financial investment research firms should also be actively encouraged.”
“ESCAP through its member states to ask businesses with multi-national branches to provide good practices in ESG relevant to the Jakarta Declaration. ESCAP to host these good practices online for general viewing. ESCAP at its mid-Decade Review should consider a ceremony to recognize companies with outstanding good practices, and the ceremony be sponsored by regional media companies.”
Add to Section II. Institutional mechanism B:
“Identify IT experts with disability or who have worked on disability-inclusive IT projects to provide guidance and develop the optimal requirements for accessible technologies or universal design work environments for all different types of disabilities.”
5.2.6 Priority Area 6: Close disability data gaps and strengthen capacities to track progress in disability-inclusive development at the national and subnational levels:
Add to Section I. Legislative action and policy reform A6:
“Member States are also encouraged to utilize the UN Human Rights Office’s SDGs CRPD resource package to better align and leverage the overlapping goals and indicators of the CRPD and SDGs for implementing the Jakarta Declaration.”
Add to Section III. Capacity development:
“Along with appropriate training and dissemination of disability data and statistics, ESCAP should lead an effort to examine the data collection and analysis methodologies of existing public and private sector clinical research organizations, specifically the use of global coding dictionaries (e.g. MEDRA) and standardize data reporting specification (e.g. SDTM), to develop disability-driven and verified systems for comparing disability data across member states and globally.”
| Working Group Ad-hoc Session
Day 1 Meeting Minutes |
Opening Statement: overview of Jakarta Declaration, priorities for implementation, whole of government & society approach, operational guide (voluntary) introduced, unique working group incorporating CSO & government
Election of Officers: Bureau of Ad hoc Working Group Chair & Vice Chair (1 government & 1 CSO) – KODDI nominate Ms. Nantanoot Suwannawut, Thailand and Ms. Reena Lee, ROK; both elected and Chair remarks
Adoption of Agenda: 1st part is UN ESCAP presentations and 2nd part will open floor for discussions; final day will collect feedback, incorporate into final review operational guide and mobilization of resources discussion
Working Group Self-Introductions: India (onsite), Malaysia (onsite), Pakistan (online), ROK (onsite), Russia (online), Thailand (onsite), Asian Autism Network (onsite), AP Forum on Disability (onsite), APDF (onsite), DPI United (online), Daisy consortium (onsite), DPI AP (online), Shutona Foundation, SADF (online), World Blind Union AP/Asian Blind Union (online), Samarthyam (onsite), OKU Rights Matter Project (online), APDF (onsite/online)
Group photo
Priorities of Jakarta Declaration presentation (Ms. Cai Cai): Endorsed May 2023; most goals of Incheon Strategy not yet met so need greater collaboration between government & CSOs as well as regionally/internationally; six priority areas of Jakarta Declaration detailed
Sharing experiences and suggestions of best practices: Malaysia, India, Russia, Pakistan, Thailand offer update on national disability status and government efforts; Gulham/APDF concerns over implementation and monitoring of new disability legislation in Pakistan and need to be strengthened to ensure Jakarta Declaration successful; DPI AP, Daisy ICT, APCD, APDF, Asian Autism Network, Samarthyam, KODDI, DPI AP also provide details on additional concerns and/or progress, successes, good practices
Operational Guide presentation & discussion (Ms. Tingting Chen): Drafting process overview and updates made since last draft in June 2023, expert group meeting; goal is to provide a guide primarily for governments of member states for consideration (not mandate); 5 overarching actions proposed for 6 priority areas for implementation of Jakarta Declaration with resource mobilization and capacity building recommendations through multi-ministerial/stakeholder (including private sector) and intersectional perspective/approach
ESCAP statement on Operational Guide: Highlighting feedback on disability-inclusive digital technology and disaster risk reduction; not meant to explore sector specifics but institutional mechanisms for functional techniques; ESCAP plans inter-UN agency (UNICEF, UNESCO, etc.) coordination of resources and technical work plans
Resource Mobilization presentation (Ms. Cai Cai): Multi-donor Trust Fund increasing knowledge resources, capacity of governments, private sector and CSOs, disability-inclusive development projects; request suggestions for strategies to more effectively and collectively mobilize resources moving forward
| Working Group Ad-hoc Session
Day 2 Meeting Minutes |
New Working Group presentation and discussion: 12 ESCAP members respond with interest to join new working group; deadline for response extended to December 27, 2023; call for representatives of diverse disability with equal government and CSO representation with other stakeholders possibly invited (e.g. observers, technical experts, etc.); based on topics ESCAP will invite private sector as observers but not as official members (i.e. only CSOs and government)
Implementation UN Disability Inclusion Strategy presentation and discussion: UNDIS launch by SG in 2019 disability perspectives into all areas and more employees, etc. and participation from persons with disabilities; increasing numbers represented over time and even improvements to UN facilities based on universal design principles implemented; disability-inclusive communication, procurement, disaster risk reduction plans also developed and being updated; more localization and disability awareness training and workshops to continue to be developed by CSOs and UN, as well as need to make available for more support assistants/staff; increase of persons of disabilities leading and being the face of UN programs in countries with UN projects, not just disability-related UN initiatives, and greater engagement in consulting and within project teams as well
Other Business: DPI AP accurate data collection needs standardization of disability terms and greater promotion of indicators, more resource allocation to OPDs and more emphasis of human rights approach to disability rights; DAISY shares online courses resource available to create online content and publishing learning.ac.org; RI AP accessible and inclusive tourism highlighted which addresses need to build up accessible physical environment, transportation systems, local tourist services training, and positive outcome of additional economic boost; announcement that DPO United to be relaunched in 2024 and focus on practical strategies including better resource mobilization, international cooperation, capacity building, succession planning; APDF reemphasize importance of leveraging private sector standardization of data collection, analysis and reporting to create disability-driven strategies for similar comparability of disaggregated disability data across types and nations
Closing Ad Hoc Session: adopt session summary and draft recommendations (report to be distributed); comments from working group members emphasizing most important points from session’s discussions including importance of implementation and accountability, accessibility and greater inclusion of youth and next generation of advocates, remembering to consider disaster risk reduction concerns in all aspects, etc.
