The Fourth Session of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities was held from 1 to 2 March 2017 in Bangkok at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC).
The main objectives of the meeting were to: (a) review the progress made on implementing the Incheon Strategy since the last session; (b) review ESCAP’s preparatory work in the lead-up to the 2017 High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities; and (c) discuss issues relating to the functioning of the Working Group for the second half of the Decade.
The meeting welcomed over 60 participants representing governments and civil society organizations from the Asia-Pacific region. Five substantive items were discussed at the meeting, such as (i) Review of the implementation of decisions and recommendations emanating from the Third Session of the Working Group, (ii) Review of progress in the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022, (iii) Review of preparations for the 2017 High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons, (iv) Review of resource mobilization for Decade progress, and (v) Review of issues pertinent to the functioning of the Working Group for the second half of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022.
At the end of the meeting, the Working Group adopted 7 decisions and 7 recommendations, many of which focused on how Working Group members could contribute to the preparation of the upcoming High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities and what steps are required to increase the effectiveness of the Working Groups in line with its terms of reference in the second half of the Decade.
The documents of the meeting can be found here.