Phl seeks policies to promote rights of persons with disabilities

MANILA, Philippines –  The Philippines has called for national, bilateral and multilateral policies and programs to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

The call was made through a draft resolution that the Philippines will submit to the United Nations General Assembly.

On Dec. 3, the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), the rights and protection of persons with disabilities was discussed at the UN, the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN reported.

Under the theme “Keeping the Promise: Realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Persons with Disabilities Towards 2015 and Beyond,” the Philippines called on other UN member-countries to support the resolution it initiated with Tanzania titled, “Realizing the Millennium Development Goals for Persons with Disabilities Towards 2015 and Beyond.”

Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Libran Cabactulan said “the Philippines has expressed concern on previous occasions that while the Member States of the United Nations strive to achieve the 2015 targets of their commitments in the Millennium Development Goals, efforts and strategies to that end may not effectively filter down to persons with disabilities.”

The Philippines has consistently stressed the importance of including the improvement of the plight of persons with disabilities as an integral part of the MDGs and the need for conscious efforts to mainstream the issue of persons with disabilities in MDG strategies and mechanisms.

Among the salient points of the Philippine-sponsored resolution that was adopted by consensus last month by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the General Assembly are the following:

• Governments and UN bodies and agencies are called upon to include disability issues and persons with disabilities in reviewing progress towards achieving the MDGs and to step up efforts to include in their assessment the extent to which persons with disabilities are able to benefit from efforts to achieve the goals;

• The resolution calls on governments to “strengthen the collection and compilation of national data and information about the situation of persons with disabilities following existing guidelines on disability statistics that are disaggregated by sex and age;

• The UN system is also requested to facilitate technical assistance within existing resources, including the provision of assistance for capacity building, and for the collection and compilation of national and regional data and statistics.

• The Secretary General is requested by the General Asembly to provide information on the implementation of the resolution at its 66th session with a view to convening a high-level meeting at the 67th session on strengthening efforts to ensure accessibility for and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of development efforts.

Having been adopted by the Third Committee, the resolution will soon be taken up by the UN General Assembly.

“The resolution, by emphasizing the need for governments and the international community to take concrete action to ensure that persons with disabilities fully participate in all aspects of society and development efforts, takes the promise made by governments at the MDG summit a step closer to our vision of improving the lives of persons with disabilities,” Cabactulan said.

He added that for its part, the Philippine government is taking steps to ensure that national policies and programs are inclusive and accessible to all and that the needs of persons with disabilities are taken into consideration and integrated in all aspects of social, political and economic development efforts.

Last year, Republic Act 10070 or “An Act Establishing an Institutional Mechanism to Ensure the Implementation of Programs and Services for Persons with disabilities in Every Province, City and Municipality, amending Republic Act No. 7277, Otherwise Known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, As Amended, and for Other Purposes” was enacted into law.

Under the law, national agencies and local government units are mandated to implement policies, plans and programs for the promotion of the welfare of persons with disabilities and enter into joint ventures with organizations or associations of persons with disabilities to explore livelihood opportunities and other undertakings that shall enhance the health, physical fitness and the economic and social well being of PWDs.

“National efforts, however, to be truly effective, must be complemented by regional and international efforts and we cannot overemphasize the importance of disability inclusive development cooperation within the framework of bilateral, regional and multilateral initiatives,” he said. –Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star)