Vientiane, Lao PDR – On 15-16 June, the National Committee for Disabled People and Elderly (NCDE) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have organized a two-day Mock Session for the Delegation of Lao PDR to the review under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Geneva in August this year.

According to the 2015 Census, there are over 160,000 persons with different types of disability in Lao PDR. They experience many barriers to participating fully in Lao society, including, for example, in education and employment.

Lao PDR was among the first countries in ASEAN to ratify the CRPD back in 2009. State Parties to the Convention are required to submit periodic reports documenting measures taken towards the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities. The Government of Lao PDR submitted its initial State’s Report in 2016 and is now scheduled to discuss progress and challenges on disability inclusion in the country with the CRPD Committee, which is made up of independent disability experts, many of whom are persons with disabilities.

UNDP has co-organized a training event with the NCDE and other UN Agencies in Vientiane. Two leading disability experts from the region were invited to guide the Lao Delegation in their preparations: current CRPD Committee Member Ms. Risna Utami (Indonesia) who presented on work of the Committee and flow of country review, and Senator Monthian Buntan (Thailand), a former CRPD Committee Member, who led the Mock Session segment and provided feedback on the Delegation’s performance.

Members of the Lao Delegation represented themselves at the Mock Session while Mr. Buntan acted as Chairperson of the CRPD Committee and led a tough round of questioning on a variety of issues, including on protection in law for persons with psycho-social disabilities, ensuring disability inclusive disaster preparedness and response, disability-inclusive education, and actions to eliminate violence against women and children with disabilities.

“The CRPD review is an important step towards Lao PDR honoring our commitment to protect the rights of persons with disabilities”, H.E. Mr. Padeumphone Sonthany, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Welfare and Chair of the Lao Delegation for the  review under the CRPD shared in his opening remarks. “As the Delegation, we are working to include a wide representation from across government to ensure that disability inclusion is mainstreamed in the implementation of National Socio-Economic Development Plan.”

Ms. Catherine Phuong, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Lao PDR, added that “the review is not an exam, it is a constructive dialogue between the Committee and the Government to identify any gaps in disability inclusion and develop a plan at closing these gaps.” She added that “the Mock Session was an opportunity to learn from one of the most esteemed experts in the region”, and that “UNDP looks forward to continue supporting the Government in turning the recommendations received from the CRPD Committee into action back in Lao PDR following the review.”

The Mock Session comes as part of UNDP’s initiative on Strengthening Participation in the Implementation of the CRPD in Lao PDR, which has also supported 11 Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) drafting their own Parallel Report to the Committee and providing 78 recommendations to the Government on their own lived experiences of the barriers they face as persons with disabilities in Lao PDR.

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For more information, please contact: Ms. Aksonethip Somvorachit, UNDP Communications Analyst, 020 5502 1550, aksonethip.somvorachit@undp.org