STATEMENT BY
H.E. MS. NANCY SHUKRI
MINISTER OF WOMEN, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OF MALAYSIA
ON BEHALF OF
THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)
16th CONFERENCE OF STATES PARTIES – CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
13 – 15 June 2023
Thank you, Mr. President.
1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
2. We warmly congratulate you and the members of the Bureau on your election. We are confident that you will lead this session excellently in protecting the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Please be assured that ASEAN extends its full support to you and your team.
3. All ASEAN Member States have ratified the CRPD, indicating the organization’s strong commitment in promoting, protecting, respecting and fulfilling the rights of persons with disabilities. ASEAN leaders adopted the “ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” in order to enhance the implementation of the CRPD at the regional level; to eliminate discrimination; remove barriers; and ensure the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in all areas of life.
4. An evaluation, covering the period of 2021-2025, was conducted to monitor progress and evaluate outcomes or impacts towards the achievement of the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan. The mid-term evaluation considered; enhancing the implementation of the Enabling Masterplan for persons with different types of disabilities, including migrant workers with disabilities, amongst others.
5. COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted persons with disabilities, and many are still suffering the effects of the pandemic. ASEAN convened a special meeting on “Mitigating the Impacts of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Groups in ASEAN”, and the Ministers agreed to facilitate access to social protection with appropriate allocation of public funds for social spending. They also encouraged mainstreaming disability in all COVID-19 recovery measures.
6. All ASEAN Member States support the Jakarta Declaration 2023 – 2032, adopted in October 2022, where we proclaimed the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities and reaffirmed our global commitment to a better life for all persons with disabilities. Under the Jakarta Declaration, Member States committed to the Action Plan to Accelerate the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy and take measures towards disability-inclusive development through a whole-of-society approach. We are also committed to harmonising national legislation with the CRPD and developing or strengthening frameworks to promote and monitor the implementation of the Convention.
7. Since the Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community in 2011 and over the years, ASEAN Member States have been working through relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies such as the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), as well as the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), to protect the rights and meet the needs of persons with disabilities, particularly children, women, youth and older persons. ASEAN has also been partnering with civil society organisations in these efforts.
8. ASEAN’s Complementarities Roadmap (2021 – 2025) underlines the principle of inclusivity, ensuring no one is left behind.
Thank you.