In 1992, ESCAP launched the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002
and, in the following year, adopted the Agenda for Action for the Decade. The
implementation of the Decade programme has ever since involved active collaboration with
governments, relevant governmental and other inter-governmental institutions, as well as
NGOs and civil-society organizations. The Proclamation on the Full Participation and
Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asian-Pacific region provide a strong
political impetus for the implementation of the Decade programmes.
Also, as part of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, ESCAP has
just launched a publication on "Production and Distribution of Assistive Devices for
People with Disabilities." The publication, in six volumes, offers a regional review
of the production and distribution of assistive devices in Asian and Pacific developing
countries. Besides, it contains a directory of producers; a list of international and
national mandates pertaining to assistive devices; and technical specifications pertaining
to some types of asisstive devices of particular relevance for small workshops and
organizations concerned with community-based rehabilitation. The publication can be
accessed on the internet web site at:
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ESCAP to Promote HRD of Young
People through Integrated Approaches to Youth Health
Young people themselves
have identified sexual and reproductive health, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention as
being of great concern to them at the Second Asia-Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting on
Human Resources Development for Youth, held in June 1998 in Bangkok. Similar views were
expressed by the young people attending the Third Session of the World Youth Forum (Braga,
August 1998) and the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, August
1998).
Against the above background, ESCAP will be initiating a five-year project starting in
January 2000 to promote policies to mainstream health concerns for youth, focusing on the
areas of sexual and reproductive health, and substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention; to
integrate youth health concerns into non-formal education; and to strengthen the capacity
of social services and health personnel.
The majority of countries in Asia and the Pacific do not have an explicit national policiy
which addresses adolescent health. Such a policy is necessary to guide national programmes
which address youth health. Young people's health needs are inter-related and require an
integrated and multi-sectoral approach, distinct from adult programmes. However, while
young people's sexual and reproductive health and substance abuse needs are being
acknowledged and addressed in many countries, these needs are not being confronted in an
integrated manner, nor in separate youth programmes which specifically address the health
needs of young people in especially difficult circumstances.
The ESCAP project encompasses an integrated approach to addressing these health concerns.
Adopting multi-actor and multi-level approaches will ensure that youth health concerns are
addressed at all different layers of society, thus guaranteeing that young people benefit
from this project. The project involves several different groups of stakeholders: policy
makers, NGO's and youth organizations, health and social service personnel, and youth
themselves. Furthermore, project activities will be implemented at the local. national,
subregional and regional levels in ten participating countries in Southeast and South
Asia.
This multi-year, intersectoral project is being funded by a consortium of donors including
the Swedish International Development Agency. ESCAP will implement the project in close
consultation with UNAIDS, UNDCP and UNFPA.
| REGIONAL HEARINGS IN PREPARATION FOR THE 'MILLENNIUM ASSEMBLY'
The hearings began in May 1999 and will continue for a period of five months. The first
two-day hearing was held in Beirut on 23-24 May for the ESCWA region. The ECA region in
Addis Ababa followed this on 24-25 June, and the ECE region will hold its hearing in
Geneva on 7-8 July. The next hearing will be held in Bangkok on 19-20 August for the ESCAP
region, and the final hearing will be in Santiago on 1-2 September for the ECLAC region. The overall discussions for the two regional hearings held so far in ESCWA and ECA have focused on the main areas of work of the United Nations, including its role in the areas of peace and security, economic and social development, cooperation, humanitarian relief and human rights.
Among the recommendations put forward by participants in the ESCWA hearing were: the need
for the United Nations to be more committed to the concepts it had promoted and to resist
all political pressures, and to find alternative ways to encourage regional development
through education and capacity-building. It was stressed that such an endeavour should not
be to the detriment of local cultures. ESCWA was called upon to establish a tripartite
committee that would be mandated to conduct an in-depth review of the state of civil
society in the region, as well as to design a cooperation framework to allow the
contribution of NGOs in the work of the Commission. The numerous comments and proposal
from participants centred on the need for the United Nations to redefine its role in light
of the changing world. Over 70 prominent Arab civil society representatives and ESCWA
Member States representatives gathered at the United Nations House in Beirut on that
occasion.
The two-day hearing for ECA was structured around four plenary panel discussions, focusing
on the following themes: addressing global problems: the role of the United Nations in the
21st century; addressing the challenges of peace and security in Africa; cooperation for
economic and social development in Africa; and approaching humanitarian and human rights
issues within a global context. (The procedings of the ECA hearings were not available at
the time of publication.) |
Television Series Launched on "Right to Development"
ESCAP has recently launched a unique project to promote the Right to
Development in the Asia and Pacific region through a series of 12 animation and 52
television spots. The one year project, funded by the Royal Norwegian Government is being
implemented by ESCAP together with Worldview International Foundation (WIF), a media NGO
based in Sri Lanka.
Although ESCAP does not specifically provide technical assistance for its member states on
human rights matters, it is committed to the work of the United Nations in this area. The
most direct link between ESCAP's activities and human rights is in the field of economic,
social and cultural rights.
Using ESCAP's long experience and accumulated expertise in the area of social and economic
issues, the TV series on the Right to Development could provide governments and
populations throughout the region valuable insights into the hitherto neglected dimension
of human rights.
As part of an effort to generate ideas and communication strategies from media persons and
NGO activists around the region, ESCAP together with WIF organized a two-day regional
workshop on "Promoting the Right to Development" on 31 March and 1 April 1999 in
Bangkok.
Mr. Adrianus Mooy, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, who addressed the meeting, said that
there is a greater need, than ever before, to promote the concept of Right to Development
in the Asia-Pacific region due to the ongoing economic crisis. The rights of citizens to
food, clothing, shelter, health education and work cannot be postponed indefinitely.
ESCAP Promotes Government-NGO Cooperation
The ESCAP secretariat recently organized a regional seminar on Approaches
to Enhance Government - NGO Cooperation for Poverty Alleviation.
The purpose of the Seminar is for government-NGO cooperation to build on the comparative
advantage of each and take into account the social, economic and cultural context of
development programmes.
The Seminar, which was based on six projects supported financially by the Government of
Netherlands, produced a set of recommendations that would be pertinent to government-NGO
cooperation into a wide range of social and economic sectors and programmes.
Women Help Asia Prosper
South-East Asian women contribute their full share to the economy and they
outnumber men in the labour force of some countries.
An ESCAP study also observed that mothers were the persons largely responsible for the
health and education of their children, and that it was primarily women who made decisions
and took necessary actions to lower fertility to near the replacement level or below in
several countries of the subregion.
The two-year study entitled, "A demographic perspective on women in development in
Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam" was recently
completed. The study was based on data available primarily from national population census
and demographic surveys. By reviewing the situation in four countries that share borders,
it was possible to highlight similarities and to note common patterns.
In all countries, the contribution of women as teachers and nurses was especially
important for national development. Much of the economic prosperity of South-East Asia was
owed to women working in the manufacturing industry, the study noted. Women in light
manufacturing and service industries, however, had been particularly hard-hit by the Asian
economic crisis.
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