APCD Ground-breaking Ceremony

19 September 2003
Bangkok, Thailand

H er Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn graciously presided over the Ground-breaking ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability Building and laid the foundation stone on Friday, 19 September 2003 at the Rajvithi Home for Girls.

F or this special occasion, more than 300 distinguished guests attended. The ceremony began with the arrival of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who was welcomed by H.E. Mr. Anurak Chureemas, Minister of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Mrs. Panit Nitithanprapas, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, H.E. Mr. Atsushi Tokinoya, Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan, Dr. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Ms. Keiko Okaido, Deputy Executive Secretary, NESCAP, Mrs. Surapee Vasinonta, Director-General of the Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection, and empowerment of Vulnerable Groups, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ms. Yukiko Nakanishi, Chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability Japan Committee, Ministry Officials, participants of the Training Workshop on Capacity Building of Self-help Organizations for Persons with Disabilities, and distinguished guests. H.E. Mr. Anurak Chureemas and H.E. Mr. Atsushi Tokinoya delivered their reports to HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn focusing on the close contribution of the Government of Japan and the Royal Thai Government towards the construction of the APCD building. Also on this special occasion, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presented US$50,000 from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) International Disability Award Prize rewarded to Thailand in 2001 to the APCD Foundation.

T he APCD building is to be a model accessible building towards a barrier-free society and rights-based society for persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. As H.E. Mr. Atsushi Tokinoya stated in his report, "The Government of Japan attaches great importance to international cooperation in the field of Human Security, including support for people with disabilities. In fact, this is the first year of the "New Decade of People with Disabilities" in the Asia-Pacific region, and I think it is truly symbolic that the construction of the Center commencing this year will be highly beneficial not only to the Kingdom of Thailand but also to the Asia-Pacific region as a whole, under collaboration between our two countries. I believe this Center will be one of the best examples of international cooperation in this field."

T he Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has approved financial support for the design and construction of the Administrative and Training Buildings including necessary equipment for the Center. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand through the Department of Social Development and Welfare has made 1 acre of land available in the area of the Rajvithi Home for Girls for the construction of the buildings. The APCD will consist of two buildings; the first building is a three-storey administrative building, which will include official offices, a public relations & information office, an audio-visual room, a multimedia production room, kitchen, cafeteria, and office for international disability-related organizations. The second building is a two-storey building for training comprised of 14 twin bedrooms, 1 bedroom for four persons, a computer training room, small training rooms, and a large conference auditorium. The construction of the buildings is scheduled to begin in September, 2003 and be completed by October, 2004. The buildings will facilitate the empowerment of persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region by November, 2004.