Press Release.............................. UNESCAP News Services

5 September 2003
Press Release No: G/13/2003

40% of disabled in region live in severe poverty
Committee on Emerging Social Issues: UNESCAP working
to equalize opportunities

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) - The inaugural session of UNESCAP's Committee on Emerging Social Issues heard startling figures on the number of disabled people living in severe poverty. A prominent Japanese advocate for people with disabilities, Senator Eita Yashiro, told the gathering, "It is estimated that 400 million persons with disabilities live in the Asian and Pacific region. Among them, about 160 million are still suffering from severe poverty."

Senator Yashiro has been wheelchair-bound since 1973 when as a popular television personality he fell from a stage. He was speaking at the first session of the UNESCAP's Committee on Emerging Social Issues held in Bangkok from 4-6 September at the United Nations Conference Centre.

"Many persons with disabilities in this region are still desperately searching for help and wisdom, to be able to live with human dignity," he said.

Persons with disabilities were among the vulnerable groups in society at the heart of discussions during the three-day meeting attended by over 100 policy makers and programme planners from the entire Asian and the Pacific region.

Women, youth, older persons, migrants and people living with HIV/AIDS were also the focus of the first session of the Committee.

Social economist Naila Kabeer from Bangladesh and J.V.R. Prasada Rao, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, Government of India were among other eminent persons to address the Committee.

"Governments in our region have also set ambitious goals for themselves in the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action," said Mr. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP during the opening session of the Committee. "This Framework suggests strategies and targets for equalizing opportunities for persons with disabilities, and the UNESCAP secretariat is actively striving to assist Governments and civil society to achieve this goal," he continued.

The Committee on Emerging Social Issues will provide guidance to UNESCAP secretariat for the next two years in implementing programmes to promote social development, reduce poverty and empower socially vulnerable groups in the Asian and Pacific region.

Significant efforts are being made by UNESCAP and numerous countries in Asia and the Pacific to promote equal opportunities and full participation of persons with disabilities in the society, including through providing vocational training, creating various forms of employment opportunities, strengthening self-help organizations and promoting access to information and communication technologies.

The all-out fight for a barrier-free and inclusive society for all is currently carried out through such means as the second Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (2003-2012), the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific and the elaboration of an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Delivering the inaugural address, H.E. Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat from Thailand, Vice Minister, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, stressed his country's efforts to empower persons with disabilities. "My ministry is taking steps to oversee the achievement of the targets specified in the seven priority areas of the Biwako Millennium Framework," the Vice Minister said, highlighting that Thailand had been put forward as a representative of Asia and the Pacific on the Working Group tasked by the United Nations to draft the international convention.

Thailand and the Japan International Cooperation Agency are cooperating to set up the Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability, to open officially in 2004. Working in close cooperation with UNESCAP, the Center is already carrying out a full programme of training courses in the context of the second Decade of disabled persons.

Further information is available at www.unescap.org/esid/meetings/esid_committee.htm.

For further information, please contact:
Mr. David Lazarus
Chief, United Nations Information Services, Bangkok
Tel: (+662) 288 -1862; Fax: (+662) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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