News

Volume 8 Issue 9 - December 01, 2011

International forum on ratification and implementation of C.R.P.D. in Asia and the Pacific held in Korea

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: The Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute (K.O.D.D.I.) held an ‘International forum on strategies for ratification and implementation of C.R.P.D. in Asia and the Pacific’ recently in Seoul, Korea on November 24. Javed Abidi, Chairperson, Disabled People’s International was invited to present on the ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (C.R.P.D.) in India. The countries that were presented as case studies in the Asia and Pacific region were India and Australia. The thrust of the forum was to discuss how speedy ratification and implementation can be achieved in the region.

Participants found India’s ratification story intriguing as it was led by the disability movement while the Government was dithering despite there being no apparent reservations.

Korea, which ratified C.R.P.D. much later than India in January 2009, has submitted their initial Country Report to the C.R.P.D. Committee this year. This Report was discussed. Professor Jia Yang of China who is the Vice-Chair of the C.R.P.D. Committee underlined the importance of timely submission of the Country Reports and the Parallel Report, a message pertinent to India which is running almost 2 years behind schedule. Abidi concurred with her and added that involvement of people with disabilities and disabled people’s organisations is crucial to the effective implementation of C.R.P.D. He also reiterated the need for a comprehensive Parallel Report and urged the disability movement of Korea to take the lead.

Other speakers at the forum were Professor Lee Ann Baser of La Trobe University, Australia; Seok-gu Lee, Secretary General of Korea Foundation for Persons with Disabilities; In-hwan Seo, Secretary General of Korea Federation of Organisations of the Disabled; Dr. Seung-chol Choi, Head of International Cooperation, K.O.D.D.I.; Professor So-yeon Jung of Seoul Women’s University; besides other dignitaries of K.O.D.D.I. The sessions were facilitated by Professor Hyung-sik Kim, Member of the C.R.P.D. Committee from Korea.