The Launching of the Decade

The Governments of 58 per cent of the world's population made a historic decision in the concluding year of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992). The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), at its forty-eighth session in April 1992, declared the period 1993 to 2002 as the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons.

The unique regional initiative was launched at a meeting convened by ESCAP at Beijing in December 1992. That meeting adopted the Proclamation on the Full Participation and Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Region, and the Agenda for Action for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons. The Proclamation and Agenda for Action for the Decade were endorsed by the Commission at its forty-ninth session in April 1993.

The issuance of the above-mentioned landmark documents is aimed at encouraging their implementation by:

The primary focus of Decade action is the expansion of opportunities for the full participation of people with disabilities in society and their equality in the development process. It is in villages, towns, cities and the myriad communities of the region that the lives of people with disabilities must improve through the impetus of the Decade.

Decade Resolution

Commission resolution 48/3 on the
Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993 - 2002

Recalling all General Assembly and Economic and Social Council resolutions on disability matters, including General Assembly resolution 37/52 of 3 December 1982, by which the Assembly adopted the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons, and resolution 37/53 of 3 December 1982, on the implementation of the World Programme of Action, in which, inter alia, it proclaimed the period 1983-1992 the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons,

Recalling also Commission resolution 207 (XXXVI) of 29 March 1980, concerning effective implementation and follow-up of the objectives of the International Year of Disabled Persons, "Full participation and equality",

Mindful that the risk of disability increases with age and that, with the expected rapid ageing of the societies in the region, the number of disabled persons will increase substantially,

Recognizing that while the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons has increased awareness of disability issues and has facilitated considerable progress in the prevention of disability and the rehabilitation of disabled persons in the ESCAP region, progress towards improving the situation of disabled persons has been uneven, particularly in the developing and least developed countries,

Noting that the Expert Group Meeting to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons in the Asian and Pacific Region, held in August 1991, and convened by ESCAP, recognized that there was a need for a second decade of disabled persons to consolidate the gains achieved thus far in the ESCAP region,

Noting further that the Fourth Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Social Welfare and Social Development, held in October 1991, expressed support for the declaration of a second decade of disabled persons,

1. Proclaims the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, with a view to giving fresh impetus to the implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons in the ESCAP region beyond 1992 and strengthening regional cooperation to resolve issues affecting the achievement of the goals of the World Programme of Action, especially those concerning the full participation and equality of persons with disabilities;

2. Requests the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly to endorse the present resolution and to encourage, at the global level, support for its implementation;

3. Urges all member and associate member Governments to review the situation of disabled persons in their countries and areas, with a view to developing measures that enhance the equality and full participation of disabled persons, including the following:

(a) Formulation and implementation of national policies and programmes to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in economic and social development;

(b) Establishment and strengthening of national coordinating committees on disability matters, with emphasis on, inter alia, the adequate and effective representation of disabled persons and their organizations, and their roles therein;

(c) Provision of assistance, in collaboration with international development agencies and non-governmental organizations, in enhancing community-based support services for disabled persons and the extension of services to their families;

(d) Promotion of special efforts to foster positive attitudes towards children and adults with disabilities, and the undertaking of measures to improve their access to rehabilitation, education, employment, cultural and sports activities and the physical environment;

4. Urges all concerned specialized agencies and bodies of the United Nations system to undertake an examination of their ongoing programmes and projects in the ESCAP region, with a view to integrating disability concerns into their work programmes systematically and supporting national implementation of the present resolution;

5. Calls upon non-governmental organizations in the field of social development to utilize their experience and expertise in strengthening the capabilities and activities of organizations of disabled persons;

6. Urges organizations of disabled persons to cooperate with government agencies in strengthening means by which citizens with disabilities may realize their full potential, and to strengthen linkages among disabled persons in developed and developing countries to enhance their self-help capacity;

7. Requests the Executive Secretary to assist, subject to available financial resources, member and associate member Governments in the following:

(a) Developing and pursuing national programmes of action during the forthcoming Decade;

(b) Formulating and implementing technical guidelines and legislation to promote access by disabled persons to buildings, public facilities, transport and communications systems, information, education and training, and technical aids;

8. Further requests the Executive Secretary to report to the Commission biennially until the end of the Decade on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution and to submit recommendations to the Commission, as required, on action to maintain the momentum of the Decade.

Proclamation on the
Full Participation and Equality of
People with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Region

1. We the government leaders of ESCAP members and associate members recognize that:

2. We note that in Asian and Pacific societies, minimum care and service are, to a large extent, provided for people with disabilities in the traditional family and community context. However, much more must be done to enable persons with disabilities to develop their full potential so that they may live as agents of their own destiny in the rapidly changing economic and social conditions of the region.

3. Throughout the region, the opportunities for full participation and equality for people with disabilities, especially in the fields of rehabilitation, education and employment, continue to be far less than those for their non-disabled peers. This is largely because negative social attitudes exclude persons with disabilities from an equal share in their entitlements as citizens. Such attitudes also curtail the opportunities of people with disabilities for social contact and close personal relationships with others. The social stigma associated all too often with disabilities must be eradicated.

4. The built environment throughout much of Asia and the Pacific has been designed without consideration for the special needs of persons with disabilities. Physical obstacles and social barriers prevent citizens with disabilities from participating in community and national life. The various impediments to participation and equality are especially formidable for girls and women with disabilities. With improved attitudes, increased awareness and much care, we can build social and physical environments that are accessible for all, i.e., we must work towards a society for all. In this regard, we urge the free exchange of information.

5. We take pride in the fact that in economic terms, Asia and the Pacific is the fastest growing region in the world today. We are also aware that countries in this region are at different levels of development. We resolve that economic progress will also be reflected in the efforts that we devote to this extremely vulnerable social group in our societies: people with disabilities.

6. We welcome the adoption by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific of resolution 48/3 on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, as a catalyst for effective new policy initiatives and actions at national, sub-regional and regional levels aimed at systematically improving the conditions of people with disabilities, who constitute approximately one-tenth of our total population, and for harnessing their full development potential.

7. We thus proclaim and pledge our joint commitment to translating into action in our respective countries and territories the ideals and objectives of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, and confirm our continued endeavour in accordance with the United Nations Charter's affirmation of faith "... in the dignity and worth of the human person...."

SIGNATORIES OF THE PROCLAMATION

Australia	Marshall Islands
Bangladesh	Micronesia, Federated States of
Bhutan	Mongolia
Brunei Darussalam	Myanmar, Union of
Cambodia	Nepal
China	New Zealand
Korea. DPR	Niue
Fiji	Palau
Guam	Pakistan
Hong Kong, China	Philippines
India	Republic of Korea
Indonesia	Singapore
Iran, Islamic Republic of	Salamon Islands
Japan	Sri Lanka
Lao PDR	Thailand
Macau	Uzbekistan
Malaysia	Viet Nam
Maldives