Asia and the Pacific is home to more than 750 million persons with disabilities who face significant barriers to full and effective participation in society. To realize the regional vision of inclusive development that upholds the rights of all persons with disabilities, ESCAP member States proclaimed in 2012 the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022, and adopted the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, which comprises the world’s first set of disability-specific development goals. Further, the Beijing Declaration, including the Action Plan to Accelerate the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy was adopted at the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022 in 2017, providing further strategic guidance on disability-inclusive development.
As the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022 concludes, there is a need for governments, persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to take stock of the progress made and to chart the way forward for a new phase of disability-inclusive development in the region. To this end, ESCAP completed a comprehensive final review of the implementation of the Decade. The process included an analytical review and consultation meetings, culminating in the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Final Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022 held in Jakarta and online from 19 to 21 October 2022.
The analytical review examined the state of disability-inclusive development in Asia and the Pacific based on responses from 31 governments, 24 civil society organizations and 8 international organizations to the ESCAP surveys on the final review, as well as secondary desk research. The consultation meetings, including an expert group meeting and stakeholder consultations, solicited feedback and inputs on achievements, lessons learned and emerging priorities concerning disability-inclusive development in the region. Findings of the analytical review and consultation meetings were presented in the background and information papers for the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting: “Implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013–2022: key achievements, priorities and challenges”, “Implementation of the Incheon Strategy to ‘Make the Right Real’ for Persons with Disability in Asia and the Pacific” and “Disability-inclusive development in Asia and the Pacific and the path to 2030: perspectives of persons with disabilities and civil society organizations”.
The Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023–2032 was adopted at the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting to guide regional efforts towards realizing disability rights and inclusion in the coming Decade. The Jakarta Declaration highlights a gender-responsive life cycle approach to disability-inclusive development and underscores the importance of engaging persons with disabilities and their representative organizations and the private sector in all development efforts to build sustainable and inclusive societies.
For more information, please visit the dedicated ESCAP web page on the final review available here.