Draft National Plan to secure rights and improve quality of life of persons with disabilities debated in Astana
The mission of the Working Group and the Coordination Council is to elaborate proposals and recommendations on social protection of persons with disabilities; ensure interface between central and local governments, organizations and associations of persons with disabilities on matters pertaining to social protection of the disabled; and to ensure equal opportunities and social integration for the latter, the press release of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan reads.
On December 11, 2008, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed Decree No. 711 'On Signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 13, 2006, in New York.
To identify ways and the timeframe for ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Long-Term National Action Plan to Secure the Rights and Improve the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities was drafted, providing for 5 areas of action:
1) ensuring accessibility of facilities in key areas of life of persons with disabilities;
2) ensuring accessibility of services in key areas of life of persons with disabilities;
3) improved social protection and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and better rehabilitation and special social services;
4) increased public awareness of challenges faced by persons with disabilities;
5) statistics and data collection.
The joint session was attended by members of the Coordination Council and the Working Group (Minister of Labour and Social Protection, vice ministers of central government authorities, Deputy Akims of Oblasts, Astana and Almaty, representatives of international organizations and chairmen of public associations of persons with disabilities).
At the joint session a presentation of the draft Long-Term National Action Plan to Secure the Rights and Improve the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities was featured.
Furthermore, the session included reports of the Working Group members (Ministries of Education and Science, Transport and Communications and Information, Internal Affairs, Agency for Construction, Housing and Utilities) as well as speeches of representatives of non-governmental organisations concerning implementation of the aforesaid draft plan.