ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF) Diplomatic Briefing on the Draft of Enabling Masterplan on the Rights

Grandhika Hotel Jakarta, 5th July 2018

Persons with disabilities belong to particular parts in ASEAN which have been addressed in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Blueprint 2025 along with other vulnerable groups namely women, children, migrant workers, and elder persons. The blueprint strengthens the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in ASEAN which stipulated in ASEAN Human Rights Declaration and Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of the Persons with Disabilities in ASEAN Community, as well as in the Mobilization Framework of the ASEAN Decade of Persons with Disabilities 2011 to 2020.

It is important for ASEAN to develop the mechanism and workplan for promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities that can be implemented in national level shortly. The idea might be possible considering ASEAN Member States have ratified the UN CRPD, Incheon Strategy, and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their respective national mechanisms. Therefore ASEAN also should make its own strategic workplan and implementation for realizing the goals enshrined in UN CRPD, Incheon Strategy, SDGs, and other regional frameworks.

ASEAN Member States are undoubtedly having various mechanisms to address and manage the rights of persons with disabilities. The differences of mechanism, governance, regulation, and implementation in each ASEAN Member State should be respected. However there should be same guidance and standard setting based on CRPD in ASEAN to address this matter which should be applicable in different mechanism in ASEAN Member States.

Similar to this idea, Taskforce on the Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community is developing the Masterplan for ensuring and implementing the rights of persons with disabilities in ASEAN. Therefore it is important for disabled people organization (DPOs) in regional level to discuss the situation, challenges, and recommendation for the Task Force regarding that Masterplan.

Taking the momentum of drafting process on the masterplan, ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF) collaborated with Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) and supported by Disability Rights Fund (DRF) have been successfully convened the Regional DPO’s Consultation on the Masterplan on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in ASEAN on 5-6th June 2018 in Jakarta.

ADF discussed about the draft Enabling Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ADF proposal recommendation on Joint Working Group with ASEAN dialogue partners and Political Cooperation Division, ASEAN Secretariat. They had supervised ADF with brief yet useful advice to follow up the recommendation with support from ASEAN Dialogue Parteners and related ASEAN Focal Point to disability issue namely SOMSWD.

The participants of audience meeting with Political Cooperation Division 1,

ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN Dialogue Partners as follows:

Ms. Sara Abdullah - Assistant Director Political Cooperation Division ASEAN Secretariat, Ms. Farah Monika and Ms. Yulida Nuraini - Technical Officer of Political Cooperation Division ASEAN Secretariat,

Ms. Jovanna Horn - German Embassy,

Ms. Seonyoung Yang - Korean Mission to ASEAN,

Ms. Natasha K - Embassy of Sweden,

Mr. Lucas Cibor - EU Mission to ASEAN,

Mr. Adhitya Maas - Norwegian Embassy,

Mr. Tim Wang - New Zealand Mission to ASEAN,

Mr. Dio Tobing - Netherlands Embassy and ADF Steering Committee Member.