Background

A. Background

The development of the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific was derived from the experiences in the implementation of two consecutive Asian and Pacific Decades of Disabled Persons, 1993–2002 and 2003–2012, as well as the historic adoption by the General Assembly, in 2006, of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.¹

The development of the Incheon Strategy benefited from the contributions of governments, organizations of and for persons with disabilities, and other key stakeholders. It drew from the observations, feedback and insights obtained through the following regional consultations: the Expert Group Meeting-cum-Stakeholder Consultation to Review the Implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003–2012: The Biwako Millennium Framework for Action (Bangkok, 23–25 June 2010); the Committee on Social Development, second session (Bangkok, 19–21 October 2010); the Regional Stakeholder Consultation for the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Final Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003–2012 (Bangkok, 14–16 December 2011); and the Regional Preparatory Meeting for the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Final Review of the Implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003–2012 (Bangkok, 14–16 March 2012).

The responses of governments and organizations of and for persons with disabilities to the ESCAP Disability Survey 2011–2012 on the final review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003–2012, provided a rich evidence base for developing the Incheon Strategy.

The Incheon Strategy is not intended to replicate the comprehensive coverage of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action and Biwako Plus Five towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which will all continue to serve as overarching policy frameworks for regional work in the field of disability.

Similar to the Millennium Development Goals,² the Incheon goals and targets are time-bound for accelerating implementation by focusing particular attention on the achievement of a set of priority goals and targets during the course of the new Decade, 2013–2022, as well as facilitating the measurement of progress to be attained by countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region.

B. Key principles and policy direction

The Incheon Strategy is based on the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

1. Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy, including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons;
2. Non-discrimination;
3. Full and effective participation and inclusion in society;
4. Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity;
5. Equality of opportunity;
6. Accessibility;
7. Equality between men and women;
8. Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities.

In order to realize and protect the rights of persons with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region, the Incheon Strategy underscores the following policy direction:

1. Legislative, administrative and other measures supportive of rights fulfilment are adopted, implemented, reviewed and strengthened so that disability-based discrimination is eliminated;
2. Development policies and programmes are disability-inclusive and gender-sensitive and harness the potential of combining universal design with technological advancements for enabling persons with disabilities to fulfil their rights;
3. Development policies and programmes address the basic needs of persons with disabilities and their families who live in poverty;
4. Effective and timely collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated disability data are pursued for evidence-based policymaking;
5. National, subnational and local policies and programmes are based on plans that are explicitly inclusive of persons with disabilities and that also prioritize the active participation of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in relevant decision-making processes;
6. The necessary budgetary support is provided at all levels for disability-inclusive development and tax policies facilitate the inclusion of persons with disabilities;
7. All national, subregional, regional and international entities concerned with development include disability dimensions in their policies and programmes;
8. National, subnational and local coordination, with subregional and regional linkages, ensure that disability inclusion in development policies and programmes is strengthened through intensification of multisectoral consultation and collaboration, to expedite and review Decade implementation and share related good practices;
9. Community- and family-based inclusive development is promoted in order to ensure that all persons with disabilities, irrespective of socioeconomic status, religious affiliation, ethnicity and location, are able, on an equal basis with others, to contribute to and benefit from development initiatives, particularly poverty reduction programmes;
10. Persons with disabilities are included in mainstream community life and are supported with life choices equal to those of others, including the option to live independently;
11. Persons with disabilities have access to the physical environment, public transportation, knowledge, information and communication, in a usable manner, through universal design and assistive technologies with reasonable accommodation provided, and taking into consideration the need to accommodate economic, geographic, linguistic and other aspects of cultural diversity, which altogether constitute a critical bridge to fulfilling their rights;
12. Diverse disability groups are empowered that include but are not limited to the following underrepresented groups: girls and boys with disabilities, young persons with disabilities, women with disabilities, persons with intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities, persons with autism, persons with psychosocial disabilities, persons who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafened, persons who are deafblind, persons with multiple disabilities, persons with extensive disabilities, older persons with disabilities, persons with disabilities living with HIV, persons with disabilities arising from non-communicable diseases, persons with disabilities affected by leprosy, persons with disabilities caused by medical conditions and intractable epilepsy, persons with disabilities caused by road traffic crashes, indigenous and ethnic minority persons with disabilities, persons with disabilities who are homeless and inadequately housed, persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies, and the occurrence of natural and human-made disasters, persons with disabilities who are victims of landmines, persons with disabilities who do not have legal status, persons with disabilities who are victims of domestic violence, particularly women and children, and family advocacy groups, as well as particularly marginalized persons with disabilities living in slums, rural and remote areas and atolls;
13. Organizations of and for persons with disabilities, self-help groups and self-advocacy groups, with support, as required by families and caregivers, participate in decision-making, as appropriate, to ensure that the interests of marginalized groups are adequately addressed;
14. Action on awareness-raising is strengthened and continued, including through the provision of adequate budgetary support, in the Asian and Pacific region during the Decade to improve attitudes and behaviour and mobilize effective multi-sectoral engagement in implementation modalities.

C. Incheon goals and targets

The Incheon Strategy is composed of 10 interrelated goals, 27 targets and 62 indicators.

The time frame for achieving the goals and targets is the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013 to 2022.

Goals describe the desired end results. Targets are aimed to be achieved within a given time frame. Indicators measure progress towards the targets and verify that the targets have been achieved. There are two types of indicators: core indicators and supplementary indicators.³ All indicators should be disaggregated by sex wherever possible.