The European Union is about to become a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, whose 32^nd Article requires States Parties to ensure that international co-operation, including international development programmes, are inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.

Speaking at a Meeting on 4^th November 2010, Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development, said: “The European Commission is committed to ensure that international co-operation, including international development programmes, is inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities”. During that Meeting between representatives of the EU and members of the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC), of which ILEP is an active member, and the European Disability Forum, they discussed two key issues:

 

a)      how to effectively address disability issues in European development co-operation work; and

b)      how to build on steps the Commissioner and European Commission have already taken to promote development initiatives that include persons with disabilities. 

 

For many decades, ILEP Members have been working to help provide those living with leprosy-related impairments opportunities for education, training, earning a living and playing a wider role in their communities. Mr Douglas Soutar, General Secretary of ILEP has stressed the importance of Article 32 as a tool to help advocate for the inclusion of leprosy affected persons in benefiting from international development programmes.  

 

 

 

IDDC Press Release

Commissioner Piebalgs: “EU Development Co-operation has to be inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities”

http://cms.horus.be/files/99909/MediaArchive/library/2010_11_04_IDDC_EDF_met_Commissioner_for_Development_Andris_Piebalgs.doc

 

 

 

 

According to data collected and published by the World Health Organization in its

Weekly Epidemiological Record of 27^th August 2010, its regions recorded the following percentages of persons who already had reduced vision and/or visible damage to their hands and/or feet at the time of being diagnosed with leprosy in 2009:

 

·          WHO African Region – from 1.45% in Liberia to 20.71% in Burundi

·          WHO Americas Region – from 6% in Venezuela to 14.9% in the State of Bolivia

·          WHO South-East Asia Region – from 3.08% in India to 14.9% in Myanmar

·          WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region – from 6% in Egypt to 19.8% in Sudan

·          WHO Western Pacific Region – from 4.28% in Malaysia to 22.8% in China 

Categories: International Collaboration, News and Notes