China hosts Inter-Governmental Meeting of Asia and Pacific Decade for Persons with Disabilities

The High Level Inter-Governmental Mid-Point review meeting of Asia and Pacific Decade for Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022 was held in Beijing, China.
A number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region had participated in it. Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot.

Key Highlights of meeting

The meeting was organised by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in cooperation with China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF).
Its main objective was to review progress made by member States during Decade at mid-point in 2017 with regard to Incheon Strategy to make right real for persons with disabilities in Asia and Pacific. It also discussed future policy action for building disabilities-inclusive societies in region, bearing in mind synergies between 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Incheon Strategy. It also finalised declaration to address gaps and challenges in empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Incheon strategy

The Incheon Strategy provides Asian and Pacific region and world with first set of regionally agreed disability-inclusive development goals. It has been developed over more than two years of consultations with governments and civil society stakeholders.
The Incheon Strategy builds on UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and Biwako Millennium Framework for Action (BMF) and Biwako Plus Five towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and Pacific. It comprises 10 goals, 27 targets and 62 indicators.
The Incheon Strategy enables Asian and Pacific region to track progress towards improving quality of life, and fulfilment of rights of region’s 650 million persons with disabilities, most of whom live in poverty. The UNESCAP secretariat is mandated to report progress in implementation of Incheon Strategy every three years until end of Decade in 2022.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2017