Islamabad Recommendations

on Regional Networking and Collaboration

in South Asia

The Regional Leadership Conference for Persons with Disabilities in South Asia was
organized by Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, Special Talent Exchange
Program, Sightsavers, Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability, British Council and
Telenor Pakistan on 31 July- August 2, 2010 at Hill View Hotel in Islamabad. More than
100 delegates got together from all over Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Deliberations
and valuable inputs regarding sub-regional and regional collaboration have been shared
in different times and occasions such as in Dhaka and Bangkok by major collaborators
from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. With more specific emphasis
on resource mobilization in South Asia, the presentations of key speakers, panel
discussions and the deliberations of the participants in the conference provided a range
of perspectives and perceptions about the way forward in South Asia.

Preamble

From South Asia which is a diverse and thickly populated area of the world with many
cultural similarities and living patterns, we, the participants at the Regional Leadership
Conference:

1. Acknowledge that there is a growing concern of disability within the region, and
further actions should be taken by all stakeholders including both government and non-
government sectors in South Asia, ensuring that persons with disabilities are entitled to
enjoy the same rights, privileges and opportunities as other citizens in South Asian
countries,

2. Recall sub-regional and regional cooperation and collaboration in the Biwako
Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based
Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF) and BMF Plus Five,
adopted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UNESCAP) as the framework in the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons,
2003-2012,

3. Appreciate the governments in South Asia who have signed and ratified the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and its
optional protocols,

4. Share that there are attitudinal barriers with metaphors, jargons and phrases which
reinforce exclusion of persons with disabilities in South Asia, and agree that such
terminologies as special parks and special buildings be replaced with other appropriate
terminologies in accordance with UNCRPD and other international standards,










5. Note that present judicial systems, governance and administrative structures in South
Asia are usually not conducive to the needs of persons of with disabilities, and recognize
necessary measures to be taken to address issues of persons with disabilities in judicial
policies, governance reforms and administrative structures,

6. Encourage all stakeholders including governments to consider research and
development opportunities in partnership with public and private sectors, especially
media to demonstrate good practices and raise awareness in general public,

7. Recognize the needs of actions for promoting community-based inclusive
development in South Asia and other sub-regions in collaboration with various
stakeholders including governments, Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs), APCD,
corporate sectors, international NGOs, sub-regional and regional agencies, UN agencies
and other partners,

8. Identify that poverty reduction and livelihood programs are major focuses of
governments, DPOs and other development sectors in South Asia and there is need to
mainstream disability issues from regional perspectives,

9. Emphasize accessibility standards being implied in the construction and
refurbishment of commercial, public buildings, and other disability-sensitive
communications by using accessible format in any type of materials,

10. Agree that a few corporate sectors have been proactive and started a number of
social business interventions that strengthen the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Such good social business practices should be promoted and replicated further towards
the future of South Asia,

11. Emphasize the importance of education and training in an inclusive manner with
support from governments, APCD, corporate sectors, international NGOs in close
consultation with DPOs, sub-regional and regional agencies, UN agencies and other
partners, bearing in mind a large number of persons with disabilities being excluded in
communities across the South Asian region,

12. Promote community-based inclusive development programs through sub-regional
and regional networking and collaboration on a basis of South to South cooperation
between governments, DPOs, APCD, corporate sectors, international NGOs, sub-regional
and regional agencies, UN agencies and other partners, ensuring that all types of
development forums, networks, and coordination committees should encourage
participation and representation of DPOs.












Recommendations

In line with the BMF and BMF Plus Five regarding sub-regional and regional
cooperation and collaboration, adopted by UNESCAP, in addition to the discussion of
post-decade activities at UNESCAP after 2012, we, the participants at the Regional
Leadership Conference in Islamabad, hereby recommend:

1. To agree and endorse the establishment of South Asian Disability Forum (SADF)
that networks various DPOs and NGOs in South Asia, regardless of types of disability, to
address a regional point of view in South Asia. In collaboration with governments,
APCD, corporate sectors, international NGOs, sub-regional and regional agencies, UN
agencies and other partners, SADF is expected to play a role to highlight a regional focus
on the inclusion of persons with disabilities as a development priority. The secretariat
of SADF shall be located in Islamabad, Pakistan.

2. To encourage those governments in South Asia that have not signed and/or ratified
UNCRPD to accelerate the process of ratification. As one of key countries in South Asia,
the Government of Pakistan shall accelerate its on-going process to ratify UNCRPD.
Further, countries that have already ratified UNCRPD are encouraged to harmonize
existing legislation and establish effective implementation and monitoring systems.

3. To develop a mechanism on regional collaboration in close cooperation with APCD
from the perspective of South Asia in Islamabad. In consideration of the Government of
Pakistan through the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education expressing their
willingness to support such mechanism, it shall include mobilization of available human,
information and other resources in partnership with other governments, DPOs,
corporate sectors, international NGOs, sub-regional and regional agencies including
South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation (SAARC), UN agencies and other
partners.


2 August 2010




Federal Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, Government of
Pakistan



Akiie Ninomiya
Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability













Muhammad Atif Sheikh
President, Special Talent Exchange Program



Niaz Ullah Khan
Country Director, Sightsavers



Affan Haider
Manager Corporate Communications, Telenor Pakistan



David Martin
Director Pakistan, British Council




Witnessed by



Mosharraf Hossain
Country Director, Action on Disability and Development, Bangladesh
Executive Committee Member, Asia and Pacific Disability Forum



Birendra Pokhral
President, National Federation of the Disabled Nepal
Chairperson, Disabled Peoples International South Asia



Ghulam Nabi Nizamani
Secretary, Disabled Peoples International Asia-Pacific Region
Vice Chairperson, Community-based Rehabilitation Asia-Pacific Network
Executive Committee Member, Asia and Pacific Disability Forum









Minutes of Meeting
First meeting of South Asian Disability Forum (SADF)
Hillview Hotel meeting room, August 2, 2010

Background:
Recalling the previous discussions for the need of sub-regional network, specifically during
the UNESCAP meeting in 2006, South Asian Disability Forum (SADF) was established as
per Islamabad Recommendations adopted by the participants of Regional Leadership
Conference of Persons with Disabilities in South Asia, held at Hill View Hotel Islamabad on
July 31- August 2, 2010. Having been endorsed by the organizers and partners of the
conference including the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education the Government
of Pakistan, Sightsavers, Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), Telenor
Pakistan, British Council and Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP), SADF conducted
the first meeting from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, from 5pm to 6pm on August 2, 2010. Mr.
Muhammad Atif Sheikh, President of STEP, chaired the discussion regarding further actions
of SADF.

Agenda:
Recitation from the Holy Quran
Introduction
Further steps

Participants:
Mr. Ghulam Nabi Nizamani, Secretary DPI Asia Pacific
Mr. Birendra Pokhral, President NFDN Nepal
Mr. Mosharraf Hussain, Country Director, ADD Bangladesh
Mr. Shafiq-U-Rehman, President Milestone Pakistan
Mr. Asim Mian, President Saya Association, Pakistan
Mr. Mobin U Din, President DPI Pakistan
Ms. Abia Akram, Women Coordinator, DPI Asia Pacific











Decisions:
a. An action plan will be developed until the second conference which shall be held in Dhaka
(tentatively scheduled in May 2011);
b. A constitution of SADF will be drafted by Mr. Birendra (National Federation of the
Disabled Nepal) by the end of February 2011;
c. Mr. Muhammad Atif Sheikh will be the Chairperson of SADF ad-hoc committee until the
second conference in 2011while Mr. Birendra Pokhral (Nepal) and Mr. Mosharraf Hossain
(Bangladesh) will be Co-Chairpersons;
d. A website of SADF will be developed within a span of one month onward and managed by
STEP (Pakistan) on a volunteer basis;
e. An official announcement of the establishment of SADF shall be made immediately and
membership shall be called at the same time;
f. Membership shall be opened for general members and associate organizations, while the
criteria will be described within the constitution; and
g. The secretariat of SADF shall be located in Islamabad.

Notes:
SADF extended appreciation to the Government of Pakistan, APCD, STEP, Sightsavers,
Telenor Pakistan and British Council for collaboration to organize Regional Leadership
Conference of Persons with Disabilities in South Asia which has provided basis for the
establishment of SADF