|
Background
The demand for statistics on persons with disability has
increased greatly in recent years following the International Year
of the Disabled Persons (1981), the World Programme of Action
Concerning Disabled Persons (1982), and the 22 Standard Rules on
the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
(1993).
In May 2003, the regional conference on Norms and Standards
related to Development and the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, organized by ESCWA (Beirut, 27-29 May 2003),
stressed the importance of publishing statistical reports and
studies, based on international standardized concepts, definitions
and classifications, in order to facilitate comparison between the
countries. And this is in line with the item 6 of the draft
convention entitled “Comprehensive and Integral International
Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity
of Persons with Disability”. Currently, the convention which
stresses on the importance of providing indicators on disability
from possible sources such as population censuses, family surveys,
administrative records and others, is being discussed
internationally for adoption.
Disability information in ESCWA region is limited, and available
data often lack reliability and accuracy due to conceptual and
measurement issues. It is estimated that the number of disabled
persons is high particularly when the political situation in some
countries of the region remains unsteady.
With no estimates of the number of disabled and the types of
disabilities, it would be unlikely to develop national disability
plans aimed at mainstreaming disabled persons into the society.
In response to this, Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia, in collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division
and the World Health Organization, is planning to organize a 3-day
workshop on Disability Statistics, to be held at UN-House in
Beirut from 21 to 23 March 2005. (Provisional agenda attached)
|
