Report of UNESCAP Meeting
Report of the "Expert Group Meeting and Seminar on an International Convention to Protect and Promote the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities", 2-4 June 2003
UNESCAP organized the Expert Group Meeting and Seminar on an International Convention to Protect and Promote the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities on 2-4 June, 2003 at the United Nations Conference Center, Bangkok, Thailand.
Thematic Working Group discussion at UNCC
The purposes of this meeting were to create united regional support for the elaboration of the proposed "International convention to Protect and Promote the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities among countries in Asia and the Pacific region and to formulate a set of recommendation on its principles, structure and content. 130 participants from various sectors such as Government, Non-Government, and United Nations agencies, discussed and formulated useful recommendation in response to the invitation by the General Assembly in Resolution 57/229 to "make available to the Ad Hoc Committee suggestions and possible elements to be considered in proposals for a convention". These recommendations will be presented to the second session of the Ad Hoc Committee, to be held at New York from 16 to 27 June, 2003.
The concrete outcome of this meeting was "The Bangkok Recommendations on the Elaboration of Comprehensive and Integral International Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities " which can be summarized as follows.
The inclusive international convention on the human rights of persons with disabilities is of great because it enables the States Parties to understand their obligations and develop their infrastructure and process. This convention should be based on human rights principle to ensure guarantees of human rights and fundamental freedoms to PWDs, leading to the achievement of the goals of human and social development. Finally, the full participation of representative disability groups and persons with disabilities is necessary in the process of elaboration of a convention.
In conclusion, this meeting was cooperative in the sense that it brought together significant experts to discuss the issues related to elaboration of an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and finally provided invaluable input to the follow-up meetings organized by ESCAP on the same subjects, but at higher level.
It should be noted that ESCAP was taking a leadership role in promoting the rights of people with disabilities at the regional level and supporting the elaboration of the proposed international convention.
]The"6th Session of Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns" 5-6 June 2003
Subsequently, on 5 to 6 June 2003, ESCAP conducted the Sixth Session of the Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns(TWGDC). Some representatives in the Asia and Pacific region attended the working group on their own. This Thematic Working Group serves as a key coordinating mechanism working towards the outcomes for the second Asia and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons. On the 6 June, there were meetings of Task Forces on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Education of All Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA) and Employment. Moreover, two new task forces on self-help organizations of persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities and the International Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities met for the first time.
One of important tasks of the working groups was to implement, monitor and evaluate the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF). The working group raised significant issues of the BMF and reconfirmed that the policy guidelines for action by governments and the seven priority areas should be equally implemented in each country. Throughout the course of the meeting, all participants expressed their enthusiasm and commitment to the future success of the second Asia and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012. APCD pays considerable attention towards the implementation of the BMF. The next TWGDC meeting is scheduled for December 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand.
