Partnerships Improve Lives Of Pacific Islanders With Disability

Partnerships improve lives of Pacific Islanders with disability

Ministers from Australia, New Zealand and Pacific island countries gathered today at a meeting in the Cook Islands to find ways to ensure greater inclusion of people with disability in the Pacific.

The theme of the meeting is 'Strengthening Partnerships for Disability Inclusive Development in the Pacific' and focused on the endorsement of the Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability 2010-2015.

"People with disability are among the poorest and most vulnerable to social and economic exclusion in the world. In fact, more than 500 million people in developing countries have a disability, including more than 800,000 in the Pacific," Mr McMullan, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, said.

Leaders at the Pacific Island Forum meeting in Cairns in August reaffirmed the need for more attention to be directed to people with disability and agreed to a meeting of ministers responsible for people with a disability in October 2009.

A key step towards achieving inclusive development for people with a disability is to strengthen disabled people's organisations which are run by and for people with disability and are their voice in influencing policy.

"Australia is pleased to partner with New Zealand and the Pacific Disability Forum to strengthen the capacity of Disabled Peoples Organisations across the Pacific so they can be effective advocates and provide leadership on issues that affect people with disability," Mr McMullan said.

This partnership will strengthen the ability of such organisations to influence government decision making, policies and budgets as well as to contribute to the improvement of programs, services, research and data collection.

Disabled people's organisations are mandated by the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to provide advice to governments and the international community on reducing barriers to inclusion.

Globally more and more countries are ratifying the convention which came into force in May 2008 and is the first international legally binding convention that commits the international community to including people with disability in all aspects of life, including in activities to reduce global poverty.

This support will complement Australia's $600,000 contribution to the Disability Rights Fund, which supports disabled people's organisations to work with Governments in implementing and monitoring commitments under the convention. Australia's contribution opened the door for disabled people's organisations in the Pacific to access funding for the first time.

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities Bill Shorten said that the second-class status of people with disability was a global issue and that Australia had a role to play in improving the situation in the Pacific.

"The Rudd Government was one of the first developed nations to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, because we want to see a world where all people with disability are equal and active citizens," Mr Shorten said.

Bob Mcmullan MP
Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance
Federal Member For Fraser

and

Bill Shorten MP
Parliamentary Secretary For Disabilities and Children's Services
Federal Member For Miribyrnong

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SOURCE: AusAID