Forum Leaders support need for more attention for people with disabilities

Submitted by Narayan24 on Tue, 18/08/2009 - 9:14am

The 40th Pacific Islands Forum held in Cairns, Australia, 4-7 August has reaffirmed the need for more attention to be directed to the people with disabilities in the region and have expressed strong support for the holding of a Ministerial meeting to consider a Regional Disability Strategy.

The meeting for Ministers with responsibility for persons with disabilities will be held in the Cook Islands in October this year with support from the Australian Government and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

In the final communiqué of the 40th Pacific Islands Forum, the Leaders stated: “The Regional Disability Strategy should focus attention on the need to address issues facing persons with disabilities in the Pacific, to build greater awareness on the importance of allowing those with disabilities access to greater and more equitable opportunities to enhance their quality of life and fully enjoy all inalienable human rights.”

“People with disabilities are among the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. People with disability face many barriers to full participation in society and this is no exception in the Pacific,” Forum Leaders stated.

Echoing the Leaders’ sentiments, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade said he was pleased with the Leaders’ strong support for the meeting. Mr Slade also thanked AusAid and UNESCAP – Pacific Operations Centre, for agreeing to jointly fund the Ministerial meeting.

Meanwhile, Head of the UNESCAP Pacific Operations Centre, Iosefa Maiava acknowledged the Forum Leaders’ support and said: “It is important that those with disabilities which constitute a significant proportion of the Pacific population have access to greater and more equitable opportunities to enhance their quality of life and fully enjoy all inalienable human rights.”

Mr Maiava added that UNESCAP was very pleased to assist the initiative as the Commission’s goal is to promote “inclusive and sustainable development”.

The Ministerial meeting will be coordinated by the Forum Secretariat and a report of the meeting will be sent to the next Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting to be held in Vanuatu next year.