 International
Day of Disabled Persons
3 December 2002
Statement by Johan Schölvinck Panel Discussion on Sustainable
Livelihoods and Independent Living
Thursday, 21 November 2002
2002 International Day of Disabled Persons
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
3rd December marks the annual observance of the International Day of Disabled
Persons. Needless to say, we in the Division for Social Policy and Development of the
Department of Economic and Social Affairs feel a strong sense of commitment to this
observance and are therefore pleased and proud to be part of this panel on Sustainable
Livelihoods and Independent Living the theme of this year's International
Day.
At the same time the composition of this panel shows that we have come a long way in
discussing policies related to persons with disabilities. First of all, we have Ambassador
Luis Gallegos of Ecuador who, as you all know is chairing the Ad-Hoc Committee of the
General Assembly which is to consider proposals for the elaboration of an international
convention on promoting the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Ambassador
Gallegos represents, if you will, the political side of the issue. Second, but perhaps
even more importantly, with all due respect to Ambassador Gallegos, we have Traci Walters,
the National Director of the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres whose
organization actually suggested this years theme. Ms. Walters represents the crucial
ingredients of civil society in our discussion. Third, there is my good friend and
colleague Elsa Stamatopolou, the Deputy Director of the New York Office of the High
Commission for Human Rights. She, better than anyone else, represents the human rights
ingredient of what are to discuss today. And finally myself, representing the development
side of the issue.
Having the four of us here makes it abundantly clear that the issues faced by disabled
persons can only be addressed in a partnership arrangement of political will, underpinned
by civil society pressure and complimented by viewing the plight of disabled persons from
both a human rights and developmental point of view.
Earlier I said "needless to say" concerning our Division's involvement in
this panel. I said that because the International Day was initially proclaimed to
commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the General Assembly's adoption in 1982 of the World
Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons. This Programme of Action has been very
much part and parcel of the work of our Division over the years. The subsequent adoption
of the Standard Rules and Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities has
only reinforced our role in this respect.
What makes both the Programme of Action and the Standard Rules so important is that
they recognize that people with disabilities are entitled to full participation in social
life and development in the basis of equality. Viewed this way, persons with disabilities
are no longer treated as the passive recipients of assistance or as a burden on society
but rather as active contributors to society to achieve the goal of "development for
all" or, as it was put in the context of ageing, a "society for all". If
anything, this is the core message of this International Day and this year's topic makes
that point even more abundantly clear: Thus Independent living focus on the
empowerment of persons with disabilities to make their own choices for full participation
in society and sustainable livelihoods focus on innovative options for
livelihoods as part of the fundamental basis for persons with disabilities to enjoy their
full participation in society.
Recognizing these two crucial ingredients and acting upon them is essential if we are
to be successful in embracing persons with disabilities as contributors to society's
progress rather than as those who are to be pitied and treated as such.
To me, and especially in our work in the Division for Social Policy and Development, it
is of paramount importance that we move away from the notion of vulnerable groups in need
of a hand-out, a social safety net, or as only beneficiaries of social welfare policies to
seeing them as productive members of society. This is especially true with respect to
persons with disabilities, and the same point can be made and is made for older persons.
This does not mean that persons with disabilities are not subject to being vulnerable. Our
task is to reduce the sources of this vulnerability and to adopt policy responses that
will make it possible for persons with disabilities to be active participants in our
societies rather than to confine them to the almost pejorative category of being a
vulnerable group.
Achieving this is a profoundly developmental issue and like all developmental issues
requires strong political commitments and thus political will. As I said earlier, the
presence of Ambassador Gallegos epitomizes that side of the equation. The fact that we are
pursuing a convention for persons with disabilities is in no small measure the result of
the personal commitment of President Vincente Fox of Mexico. His political will cannot be
underestimated in moving us forward in reaching the goals of the theme of this year's
International Day.
But all equations require balancing terms. Political will does not come out of nowhere.
Mustering it and nurturing it requires relentless pressure by those who stand most to
gain, that is the disabled persons themselves. We in the Secretariat, both from the
developmental and human rights' sides, through our analysis and policy advice, should
provide the fuel and support by which that relentless pressure can be maintained and
strengthened.
Therefore it is our task that, in promoting sustainable livelihoods for and with people
with disabilities and independent living, we devise strategies, which maximize the
functional capabilities of people with disabilities. Inclusion and empowerment strategies,
which facilitate their active participation in their communities, societies and economies
including architecture and design strategies that remove and prevent unnecessary barriers
in built environments, are especially important.
At the end of July this year, during the 1st meeting of the Ad hoc Committee, I
witnessed some direct evidence of this when one NGO representative using Finnish sign
language which was translated into English sign language which in turn was translated into
spoken English, which was then interpreted in the other official languages, was able to
address the Committee. The Committee was spellbound. I hope Mr. Chairman, that the day
will come when such an event will be no longer seen as such but will become a routine part
of our work.
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