Beijing Declaration, including the Action Plan to Accelerate the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy

  1. We, the Ministers and representatives of members and associate members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific assembled at the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022, held in Beijing from 27 November to 1 December 2017,
  2. Recalling General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015 entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, including the Sustainable Development Goals, in which the Assembly pledged to leave no one behind, and Assembly resolution 70/145 of 17 December 2015 on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto, in which the Assembly noted that disability specific indicators could improve the identification of existing social, economic and political inequalities,
  3. Recalling also General Assembly resolution 69/283 of 3 June 2015 on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, in which the Assembly recognized the importance of empowering persons with disabilities to publicly lead and promote universally accessible response, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction approaches in disaster risk reduction, and of applying the principles of universal design to strengthening disaster-resilient public and private investments in disaster risk prevention and reduction,
  4. Recalling further General Assembly resolution 70/170 of 17 December 2015 on working towards the full realization of an inclusive and accessible United Nations for persons with disabilities, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to improve facilities and services within the United Nations system to create accessible environments for persons with disabilities,
  5. Recalling General Assembly resolution 67/82 of 12 December 2012 on addressing the socioeconomic needs of individuals, families and societies affected by autism spectrum disorders, developmental disorders and associated disabilities, in which the Assembly expressed concern that children with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disorders and associated disabilities experienced challenges in accessing long-term health care, education, training and intervention programmes, and that persons with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disorders and associated disabilities continued to face barriers in their participation as equal members of society,
  6. Recognizing the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled,1 adopted on 27 June 2013, in which opportunities were enhanced for persons with print disabilities to access printed books in accessible formats,
  7. Welcoming the formation by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2014 of the Group of Friends on Disability in order to seek common ground, share experiences and identify ways to promote the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities in the region with a view to bringing about inclusive development for their benefit; the official recognition of the Group of Friends on Disability by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation during the Symposium on the Internet Economy, which was held in Boracay, Philippines, on 18 May 2015, as a structure of its Human Resources Development Working Group; and the holding of its first meeting in Cebu, Philippines, in September 2015 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit held in Manila,
  8. Welcoming also the inclusion of disability cooperation in the framework of the China-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Expo and the holding of the first China-ASEAN Disability Forum in 2015, with a view to strengthening pragmatic cooperation for the inclusive development of persons with disabilities,
  9. Recalling Commission resolution 69/13 of 1 May 2013, in which the Commission endorsed the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, and Commission decision 70/23 of 8 August 2014,2 by which the Commission endorsed the Road Map for the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific,3 containing an outline of action to be taken at the national, subregional and regional levels to support the implementation of the Incheon Strategy over the first five years (2013–2017) of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022,
  10. Appreciating the progress made by members and associate members in their implementation of the Incheon Strategy, and the contributions thereto of civil society, particularly organizations of and for persons with disabilities, including through continuous advocacy and capacity-building and the provision of support services for persons with disabilities,
  11. Appreciating also the efforts of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022, through which member States and civil society organizations collaborated to promote the full and effective implementation of the Decade between 2013 and 2017,
  12. Noting with concern that persons with disabilities continue to face discrimination and unfair treatment in all dimensions of life and have limited opportunities for development, and that their comprehensive rights are yet to be realized through effective legislation, policies and programmes at the national and local levels, and that policies and standards based on universal design, while promoted at the international level, are not yet fully developed and utilized across different sectors within individual countries and areas,
  13. Underscoring the need for member States to systematically implement and evaluate evidence-based policies on disability rights and disability-inclusive development, supported by adequate budgetary allocation,
  14. Appreciating the positive efforts of the Government of China in promoting disability-inclusive development in the region, particularly the importance attached to the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022,
  15. Recalling paragraph 37 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect is recognized, and underscoring the importance of incorporating disability-inclusive sports into the design of all sustainable development programmes, given their significant contribution to the health and well-being of persons with disabilities and to the overall development of society,
  16. Resolve to accelerate the implementation of the Incheon Strategy and to enhance mechanisms for tracking its progress, in accordance with the Action Plan to Accelerate the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy, contained in the annex;
  17. Commit to utilizing the Incheon Strategy and the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan as a unique set of tools to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as subregional and other global frameworks on disability, as appropriate;
  18. Also commit to promoting convergent multi-ministerial and multisectoral approaches and partnerships with civil society organizations, the private sector and academia for disability-inclusive development, with the full and effective participation of representative organizations of persons with disabilities, in support of the implementation and progress-tracking of government policy;
  19. Further commit to enhancing the collection and use of reliable, comparable and up-to-date disability data that is disaggregated to support evidence-based policymaking and the tracking of progress towards implementing the Incheon Strategy and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;
  20. Commit to paying particular attention to persons with disabilities in building up the Asia-Pacific community4 of shared future, and to continuously enhancing regional and subregional cooperation under the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, in order to make the Decade a platform for mutual learning and joint development;
  21. Request the Executive Secretary to:
    1. Accord priority to supporting members and associate members in accelerating the implementation of the Incheon Strategy, in particular through the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan, as part of the regional road map for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific;
    2. Promote the Incheon Strategy and the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan as effective tools to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
    3. Provide technical support to members and associate members to enhance national capacity for reliable and comparable disability statistics;
    4. Through the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism, encourage system-wide support from the United Nations for the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan;
    5. Support the system-wide efforts of the United Nations to improve the accessibility of facilities, information and services and implement them within the secretariat premises through measures such as adopting internal guidelines on accessibility of conferences and meetings;
    6. Submit the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan to the Commission at its seventy-fourth session for consideration and endorsement.

 

Annex

 

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1 www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/details.jsp?id=13169.

2 See E/ESCAP/70/34.

3 E/ESCAP/70/17.

4 E/ESCAP/73/31, annex II.