Page 36 - voice-international-oct2022

ASEAN

Fostering Collaboration for

Disability Inclusion

eople with disabilities face many
barriers to exercising one of
P their most fundamental rights
as individuals – the right to engage
meaningfully in civic and political life. The
COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth
unprecedented challenges for millions
globally and disproportionally affected
marginalized groups, including persons with
disabilities. As the Association of Southeast Asian well as Fiji, Guatemala, New Zealand, Australia,
Nations (ASEAN) and its Member States develop Barbados, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya and Mali,
policies and strategies for COVID-19 response and expanding the AGENDA network’s global reach.
recovery, it is important to uphold regional and The Minister of Manpower of the Republic of
national level commitments to the breakthrough Indonesia Ida Fauziyah delivered keynote remarks
regional policy framework, the ASEAN Enabling that reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to fulfilling
Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights the one percent employment quota to hire persons
of Persons with Disabilities (ASEAN Enabling with disabilities in the private and public sectors.
Masterplan) to ensure persons with disabilities are Minister Ida Fauziyah encouraged fellow ASEAN
included in this process. Member States to work together to adopt inclusive
On March 30-31, 2022 the International employment policies and accessible workplaces
Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the for persons with disabilities, highlighting the
General Election Network for Disability Access significance of using incentives build inclusive
(AGENDA) organized the two-day virtual Fifth workforces for COVID-19 recovery. Within the week,
Regional Disability Rights Dialogue to strengthen Minister Ida Fauziyah’s commitments received
joint advocacy and cross-regional collaboration country-wide recognition from five national
for disability inclusion, engaging 229 participants Indonesian news outlets. 1
from national governments, ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, Opening remarks presented by the Australian
private sector companies, academics, students, Government Department of Foreign Affairs and
digital influencers and youth across Indonesia, Trade (DFAT) and the U.S. Department of State
Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia as highlighted international commitments calling for
the actualization of the political and
civic rights of persons with disabilities
by supporting ongoing collaboration
between organizations of persons
with disabilities (OPDs), civil society
partners and ASEAN institutions.
The panel that followed included
the Representative of Thailand
to the ASEAN Intergovernmental

36 | VoICE International | October 2022