The High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022, was organized by ESCAP in cooperation with the Government of China through China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) from 27 November to 1 December 2017 in Beijing.
The Meeting consisted of two segments, i.e. a senior officials segment held from 27 to 29 November and a ministerial segment held on 30 November and 1 December, and welcomed over 340 participants, including ministers and high-ranking officials from 30 member States and 3 associate members and representatives of United Nations and other international entities, as well as non-governmental or civil society organizations for or of persons with disabilities.
The Meeting undertook a midpoint review of the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, discussed the future policy direction for building disability-inclusive societies in Asia and the Pacific, and agreed by consensus on an outcome document, Beijing Declaration, including the Action Plan to Accelerate the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy, which set a course of actions to be taken by Governments for the second half of the Decade between 2018 to 2022.
In addition, the Meeting appreciated the work done by members of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities at its first term (2013-2017) and heard expressions of interest from members, associate members and civil society organizations in serving on the Working Group for the second term, covering the period 2018–2022.
By planning and providing accessibility services to persons with diverse disabilities, the Meeting became a good example of how UN conferences and meetings can be made accessible and inclusive for all. Accessibility services included among others international sign interpretation, real-time captioning, accessible transportation and accommodation, onsite accessible support, and accessible meeting documents.
Required follow-up actions:
- The Beijing Declaration, including the Action Plan to Accelerate the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy, will be submitted to the Commission at its seventy-fourth session for its endorsement.
- The renewed membership of the Working Group for the remaining years of the Decade will be submitted to the Commission at its seventy-fourth session for its endorsement.
- To this end, ESCAP will continue to receive expressions of interest by email until 30 December 2017.
- The eligibility of the proposed civil society organizations will be checked in accordance with paragraph 7 of the terms of reference of the Working Group.
- The Chair of the Meeting, with the secretariat’s support and in consultation with members, associate members and civil society organizations that expressed an interest in serving as members, will determine the final composition of the Working Group for submission to the Commission.
For further details of the Meeting and its documentation, click the link below: