The 5th Asia-Pacific Community-Based Inclusive Development Congress

• Excellency Sem Sokha, Secretary of State Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation; Vice-Chair of the 5th Asia Pacific Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Congress
• Excellencies, colleagues, distinguished guests and friends from the Asia Pacific region and other countries, ladies and gentlemen.

I am delighted to join you this morning for the opening of the 5th Asia Pacific CBID Congress. At the outset, and on behalf of the UN Cambodia Country Team, I am pleased to convey our sincere appreciation to the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, the Disability Action Council and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities. Our sincere thanks go to all regional partners who have contributed to the organization of this important event. I’m happy to see many representatives and experts from the disability sector here today. A very warm welcome to you all.

Today’s Congress highlights the joint efforts of government, regional partners, and a range of actors in the Asia-Pacific region to honour State Parties’ obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Adopted in 2006, the Convention represents an important shift in the way that the global community views persons with disabilities. The Convention challenges negative perspectives and establishes that persons with disabilities are holders of human rights on an equal basis with others.

Last year, UNESCAP estimated that “Asia and the Pacific is home to more than 700 million persons with disabilities who face significant barriers to full and effective participation in society.”[1] In response, the Asia-Pacific region is the first in the world to proclaim a regional initiative focusing on disability inclusive development. This is a reminder of the importance of leaving no one behind and the imperative to make all possible efforts to promote diversity and inclusive development. It is a reminder to ensure that everyone can exercise all their rights.

Excellencies, distinguished participants

The United Nations Country Team in Cambodia is committed to supporting the rights, well-being, opportunities and dignity of persons with disabilities. We have been implementing a disability rights programme for almost a decade with a commitment to supporting the Royal Government to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, including the implementation of the Convention. The UN has supported the Government’s work in several areas.

In 2021, we conducted a national situational analysis and assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on "the Rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities". This analysis identified gaps and opportunities to address the impacts of the pandemic, such as poverty and unsustainable livelihoods, discrimination and negative attitudes, gender-based violence, information and education, inaccessibility of physical infrastructure, and lack of reasonable accommodation.

In the COVID-19 Plan, as part of the response, the UN and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports accommodated children with disabilities for their access to continuous learning, including online learning platforms, integrating sign language translation into video clips, and providing inclusive education materials and adaptive remedial learning packages. Nearly 30,000 children with disabilities (including over 12,500 girls) have benefited from the over 750,000 home learning packages distributed to grade 1 and 2 children nationwide. Furthermore, hygiene and sanitation supplies distributed to all 13,482 public schools across the country.

We have provided technical support to the Government to ensure equitable and accessible social protection programmes and a National Disability Identification System. As such nearly 65,000 persons with disabilities have had access to the national cash transfer programme and more than 250,000 have been interviewed for Disability Identification Cards in 2022.

The UN Country Team has further been supporting the Disability Action Council to amend the National Disability Law and formulate a new National Disability Strategic Plan 2024-2028.

The UN has provided technical support to Government to promote the social inclusion of women and young persons with disabilities in the areas of access to sexual and reproductive health services, information, and education for persons with disabilities, including preventing and addressing sexual violence and Gender-Based Violence.

Excellencies, distinguished participants

The current UN Joint Programme "Accelerating Disability Rights in Cambodia 2022-2023" supports the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, the Disability Action Council, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training to advance the implementation of the convention and disability inclusive SDGs. It aims to contribute to structural changes, which are necessary for full inclusion of persons with disabilities into Cambodian society. This includes improving the legislative framework, enhancing the implementation of policies, and increasing participation by persons with disabilities in decision making. Ultimately, it is aimed at ensuring that no one is left behind.

We welcome this multi-sector approach, and we also need a whole of society approach. Only by working together – governments, UN entities, civil society, especially organizations of persons with disabilities, the private sector and communities of experts – can we effectively implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and tackle the obstacles, the injustices and the discrimination that persons with disabilities still experience.

Our goal is clear: a world in which all persons can enjoy equal rights, equal opportunities, participate in decision-making and truly benefit from economic, social, political and cultural life.

Excellencies, distinguished participants

To reach our goal please allow me to make a few policy recommendations:

• Promote economic inclusion for persons with disabilities as a pathway to foster social inclusion.
• Budget dedicated resources to ensure the implementation of strategies, policies, and legislation related to the rights of people with disabilities.
• Promote a rights-based approach (this is not about charity).
• Invest in education to address issues affecting the people with disabilities.
• Foster meaningful participation in any public consultations of persons with abilities to address access to their rights.

There is good progress being made, but the road is long. Much more needs to be done. I have no doubt that if we work collectively, we can succeed. The UN in Cambodia is fully committed to continuing our support in all areas.

Excellencies, distinguished guests

I would like to conclude by expressing my sincere appreciation to the Royal Government, the Ministries and other partners for the positive collaboration and partnership.

I wish to also thank the disability advocates and representative groups from the Asia-Pacific region for their passion, insights, advice, and unflagging commitment to positive, principled change. May you have productive discussions and a fulfilling day.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to you today.

Saum Orkun!

[1] https://www.unescap.org/kp/2022/three-decade-journey-towards-inclusion-…