Pacific Disability Forum
DSABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PACIFIC
“A partnership of Pacific Organizations of and for People with Disabilities”
BACKGROUND
•Persons with disabilities in Pacific island countries are
among the poorest and most marginalised members of their
communities.
•The struggling economies of PICs inhibit government
attention to the presence, needs and concerns of Persons
with Disabilities - minority group and needs are outweighed
by national priority and agenda.
•Establishment of Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs)
increased world-wide since United Nations proclaimed
IYDP in 1981 – Theme “Full participation and equal
opportunities for Persons With Disabilities”
Background cont’d
•UNESCAP spearheading regional efforts over two
consecutive regional disability decades to forge a paradigm
shift from a welfare to a human rights-based approach to
disability.
•The first Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons
started in 1993 and concluded in 2002.
•The second Decade runs from 2003 to 2012. The Biwako
Millennium Framework for Action (BMF) towards an Inclusive,
Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with
Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific and its supplement, the
Biwako Plus Five, are the Decade’s policy guidelines on
disability to facilitate national policy formulation and
implementation on disability.
Background con’t
• Positive Development emerged in the Pacific in the
1990s due to UNESCAP Decade of Disabled Persons,
1993 – 2002
• Goals – “Promotion of the Full Participation and Equality
of people with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific
Region.”
Background cont’d
•Assessment of achievements made by PICs during
the first Decade showed that PICs lagged behind in
the implementation of the Decade’s Agenda for
Action.
•Lack of progress due to lack of information;
distance and cost of travel; poorly performing
economies; lack of commitment by governments;
lack of engagement with NGOs and DPOs ; and the
overall lack of voice of persons with disabilities.
Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities
Purpose of Convention (Article 1)
To promote, protect and ensure the full
and equal enjoyment of all human rights
and fundamental freedoms by all persons
with disabilities, and to promote respect
for their inherent dignity
What is unique about the
Convention?
• Both a development and Human Rights
instrument
• A policy instrument which is crossdisability and cross-sectoral
• Legally binding
A Paradigm Shift
• The Convention marks a ‘paradigm shift’ in attitudes
and approaches to persons with disabilities.
• Persons with disabilities are not viewed as
"objects" of charity, medical treatment and social
protection; rather as "subjects" with rights, who are
capable of claiming those rights and making
decisions for their lives based on their free and
informed consent as well as being active members
of society.
• The Convention gives universal recognition to the
dignity of persons with disabilities.
2. Disability & Pacific Island
Governments
•Disability was not on the Forum agenda until 2002
when the Honourable Prime Minister of Vanuatu
raised the issue at the 2002 Pacific Islands Forum
Leaders Meeting.
•Prompted by the recommendations adopted by the
UNESCAP 7 Special Body on Pacific Island
Developing Countries Meeting in Bangkok in May
2002.
•Disability included in PIF Leaders Communique in
2003 and Pacific Plan.
•Pacific offices of UN agencies also address
disability issues in the region.
cont’d
• 2008: Regional Meeting of Government Focal
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Points on Disability
2009: Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting,
Cairns, Australia – Disability included in Forum
Communiqué
2009: Pacific Islands Forum Disability Ministers
Meeting, Cook Islands, October, 2009.
2010: Pacific Island Forum Leaders endorsed
the Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability, 20102015.
3. Disability Movement and
Service Provision in the Pacific
•The primary catalysts for developing responses to
disability issues in PICs in the last four decades have
been local, national and international NGOs.
•Governments like Australia, Canada, Japan, New
Zealand and the United Kingdom provided financial
assistance to support the efforts of these NGOs which
mainly target the education and rehabilitation needs of
children and adults with disabilities in the Pacific.
•e.g the Red Cross Centres in Cook Islands, Solomon
Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga; the Able Disable Centre in
Nauru; the parents’ support group in Kiribati; Vanuatu
Society for Disabled People; Prevention, Rehabilitation
and Education of Blind Persons and Loto Taumafai of
Samoa, service providers in Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Cont’d
•Single and cross-disability NGOs were established in
PICs, focused on service delivery and managed by ablebodied persons.
• Persons with disabilities were cared for, spoon-fed,
protected and segregated.
•Regarded as recipients of goodwill, unable to make their
own choices or determine their own destiny.
•Strong extended family system encouraged family
members to look after their less fortunate relatives.
•Association of a disabling condition with ancestral curse,
parental misdeeds, witchcraft, shame and fear kept
persons with disabilities isolated, neglected, dependent
and poor.
Cont’d
•The international disability rights movement caught the
attention of leaders of DPOs in Australia, Fiji, New
Zealand and Solomon Islands in the 1990s.
•Their efforts gained momentum as other Pacific Island
countries established their own national DPOs to be the
voice and representative of persons with disabilities
living in their countries.
•The disability rights movement is about persons with
disabilities controlling their own lives with the support
they need, and uphold the value that disability must not
be looked at in parts but in totality.
Cont’d
• In March 2000, several DPOs in PICs which are
members of Disabled People International (DPI)
established a sub-regional office in Fiji to strengthen their
self-help initiatives at the national level through leadership
training and information sharing.
•National DPOs were established in Cook Islands, Kiribati,
Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu between
2000 and 2004.
•Inclusion International Asia/Pacific Region established
Pacific Disability Development Network in 2001 with
organisations of and for people with disabilities.
•Disability surveys were conducted in Cook Islands,
Samoa and Kiribati.
•About 5% were children and adults with profound, severe
or moderate disabilities.
4. The Birth of PDF
•National DPOs and disability service providers in PICs
met in Fiji in December 2002 to discuss a Pacific-based
regional organisation on disability.
•This meeting saw the birth of the Pacific Disability
Forum (PDF).
•NZAID) reviewed its funding support to disability
programme in the Pacific region in 2005.
•NZAID Pacific Regional Health Programme received
clear, strategic direction for assistance in the area of
disability development in the Pacific region for the next
five years.
•PDF well placed as a partner to NZAID and secured
funding agreement until June 2011.
Establishment of PDF
• PDF Council and Executive Committee elected in
2004 inaugural meeting – Constitution and Plan
adopted
• NZAID Funding for PDF 2006 – 2011
• Staff appointed and Secretariat established in
2007
• PDF General Forum and Pacific Regional
Conference on Disability held every 2 years –
2013 in New Caledonia
Vision
• An inclusive Pacific society that is responsive,
culture sensitive, gender equitable and ensures
the promotion and protection of the rights of
persons with disabilities
Mission
• To improve the situations of persons with
disabilities in Pacific Island Countries &
Territories by developing and strengthening the
capacity of member disabled persons
organisations (DPOs) through advocacy and
collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
KRA 1 - Support PDF members to become
stronger organisations.
• Advocate for and advance the rights of persons with
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disabilities in the Pacific
Strengthen the capacity of NDPOs in PICs to be self
reliant and sustainable by 2016:
Ensuring NDPOs have good and capable leaders
Enhance gender equality& Youth Participation
Ensure access to relevant and timely information on
issues and concerns to DPOs in the Pacific.
Increase the membership of the PDF
KRA 2 - Establish stronger relationships
with Development Partners, Donor Agencies
and National Governments.
• Establish & support partnership between
NDPOs& development partners, donor
agencies and national governments
• Strengthen existing and develop new
partnerships with relevant development
partners, donor agencies and national
governments.
KRA 3 - Influence Policies and Emerging
Issues to be disability inclusive.
• PDF is responsive to emerging issues
• Promote disability inclusive development
in the Pacific through CRPD, MDGs, PRSD
KRA 4 - Reviewing and Strengthen
Governance and Operations of the PDF.
• Ensure the effective governance of PDF
• Ensure an effective management and operations
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of the PDF
To develop a responsive Regional organisation
Ensure effective monitoring and Evaluation of
PDF activities
Ensure financial sustainability for the PDF
Organisational and Management Structures
Membership of the Pacific Disability Forum
(General Forum)
PDF Board
9 Members (including 2 Co-chairs male/female)
CEO
Committee
• Womens
Programme Manager
Information
Officer
DPO Development
Officer
Gender &
Youth Officer
Finance & Office Manager
Administrative
Officer
Office
Assistant
•Youth
•Pacific DPO Fund
MEMBERSHIP
• PDF Membership – 38 organisations in 15
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countries and territory (Australia, Cook Is, FSM,
Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New
Zealand, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Is,
Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu)
26 Full Members - DPOs
19 Associate Members with 7 Individuals , 12
Organisations
Thank You!
Pacific Disability Forum
24 Des Voeux Road
G.P.O 18458
Suva, Fiji.
Tel
: +679 3307530
Fax
: +679 3310469
E- mail : pdfsec@connect.com.fj