Forum Disability Ministers’ Meet in Rarotonga

A three day meeting to discuss how to address the needs of the disabled in the Pacific began on Wednesday 21 October 2009 at the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa. It has attracted a full complement of Forum Ministers, heads of delegations, and observers from aid agencies and non governmental organizations around the region.
The facilitators are the Forum Secretariat and UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific). The meeting ends on Friday afternoon with a function hosted by the Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat.
There were thirteen Ministers at the Forum, seven were women as noted approvingly by Hon Dame Carol Ann Kidu from PNG including of course our own Hon Ngamau Munokoa and Hon Tariana Turia from New Zealand.
Opening day was to review the agenda to allow the participants to familiarize themselves with the issues to be discussed especially the Pacific regional response and strategies on disability development.
The officials also visited Nukutere College as an example of a school practicing inclusive education followed by an informal country briefing from the various delegations.
Thursday’s session marked the formal opening of the forum with an opening address by Prime Minister Hon Jim Marurai and a welcome to all the dignitaries and delegates by Forum executive Feleti Teo, and UNESCAP head, Iosefa Maiva.
included a status report of disability inclusive development ; then a paper on key international and regional agreements on disability such as the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This was followed by a session on the role of NGOs in disability development and how they can effectively work with governments followed by country statements on the current state of their disability inclusive developments.
On Friday, the forum will hear from Graeme Innes AM, Disability Discrimination Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner of Australia, followed by a panel discussion on global commitments, national planning priorities, policies and implementation processes.
The next session explores how Pacific countries are integrating those commitments and policies into their disability inclusive developments and to identify any gaps.
Countries in attendance were: Australia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua Niugini, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and host, Cook Islands.

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