The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the National Statistical Office Thailand co-hosted the Fourth Meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics from 29 September to 1 October 2004. The Washington Group, one of the City Groups formed under the auspices of the United Nations Statistical Commission, is mandated to develop general disability measures, for use in censuses and sample surveys, and to recommend survey items to measure disability or principles for their design.

The major agenda topics for the fourth meeting emanated from work presented at the third meeting, 19-20 February 2004, Brussels, Belgium. The objectives of the meeting were to:

1. Present the draft general disability measure (workgroup 1);
2. Discuss the position paper on proposed methods for implementing the general disability measure (workgroup 2);
3. Discuss methodological issues relating to full population coverage;
4. Discuss the position paper on a proposed approach for development of extended measurement sets related to the general disability measure (workgroup 3); and
5. Discuss strategic issues, including the identification of next steps.