| Published
on Jul 29, 2005
Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart
Sathirathai yesterday called on Asia-Pacific governments and civil
societies to do "more'' to enhance the rights of the disabled
in the region.
Speaking at a seminar sponsored
by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (UN Escap), Surakiart said the disabled were not only
a long way off achieving equal opportunities, but were also far
away from being fully integrated into society.
Action at the national, regional
and international levels must be taken, he said.
"I just want to see more awareness.
I just want to see more action,'' he said.
"Everyone, in whatever capacity,
should at least try a little more."
He said that 80 per cent of the
world's 600 million disabled lived in developing countries, while
about 40 per cent were from poor families.
"This is not only a humanitarian
agenda, but also a development issue linked to human rights, human
security and poverty eradication,'' the deputy prime minister said.
"This segment of society needs
to be incorporated into national poverty-reduction programmes in
order to achieve the targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals."
The Asian and Pacific Decade of
Disabled Persons, launched by regional governments in 2003 and running
until 2012, has triggered similar developments in Africa and the
Middle East, Surakiart said.
Similar programmes are also expected
to start in the Caribbean and South Africa, he added.
These parallel events will set
the stage for cooperation among developing countries on matters
related to the disabled, Shigeru Mochida, deputy executive secretary
of Escap, told the seminar.
"For the first time, unanimous
support for the International Convention [on the Rights of Disabled
People] emerged,'' he said.
"This kind of south-south
dialogue will be an important element in reaching a unified draft."
Yesterday's seminar was part of
the preparations to draft a new comprehensive international convention
for the disabled in New York.
Thanavon Pamaranon
The Nation
|
