News and Events

The Asia-Pacific region is the most disaster-prone region in the world. The estimated 690 million persons with disability living in the region are disproportionately affected by disasters and excluded from many aspects of services as well as participation at various stages of disaster risk reduction. The impacts of disasters on populations are expected to grow as urbanization continues at a rapid pace along with unsustainable economic practices. 

The Regional Forum organized by ESCAP to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific and present good practices from Governments and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) for strengthening inclusive and accessible services to support and empowering persons with disabilities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum brought together stakeholders from OPDs, governments, UN agencies, and other organisations in order to:

The seventh session of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities was held on 8 and 9 December 2021. The meeting took place virtually on the Microsoft Teams platform due to the COVID-19 containment measures.

The Secretariat of Make the Right Real (MRR) Fund (Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute), hosts International Forum on A Decade of Incheon Strategy on 16th November and welcomes those who wish to join. More information can be found at :

http://mrr.koddi.or.kr/page/eng/communicate_news_e.jsp?menu=communicate_news_e
 

With the aim of identifying and exploring effective approaches to promoting quality employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, the Expert Group Meeting on Promoting Inclusive Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific was organized virtually on 29 and 30 July 2021.

24 SEP 2020 TO 25 SEP 2020
BY INVITATION ONLY

The sixth session of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities was held on 24 and 25 September 2020. Due to the COVID-19 situation and ensuing travel restrictions, the meeting was held virtually on the Microsoft Teams platform.

I. WEBINAR VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT

Please click here for the VDO

Please click here  to access the full transcript of the document.

Persons with disabilities say “Leave us not behind”! Listen to persons with disabilities from Asia and the Pacific as they share firsthand about how they have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and remind governments and communities of their responsibilities to mainstream disability inclusion in COVID-19 responses.

ESCAP video “Leave Us Not Behind: Persons with Disabilities and COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific”: https://youtu.be/GWDlwsFrHD4

Webinar: Protecting and Empowering Persons with Disabilities in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

15 May 2020, 09:00 – 11:00 hours, Thailand Standard Time

ESCAP, in collaboration with Ms. Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility, organized a webinar on protecting and empowering persons with disabilities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Regional Forum on Advancing Disability-inclusive Development through the Beijing Action Plan was held on 18 and 19 December 2019 in Guangzhou, China.