STATEMENT ON DISABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
1- Overview
In low-income countries, research shows that persons with disabilities belong to the poorest of the poor in society disproportionately higher than other groups of the population . The economic exclusion of persons with disabilities has major consequences for the countries’ growth. A World Bank study estimates the annual loss of GDP globally, due to persons with disabilities being excluded from economic income activities, at between USD 1.37 trillion and USD 1.94 trillion. Concerned about the link between disability and poverty, the PRSP process, therefore, is a unique opportunity to reduce poverty within this part of the population. Disability is a cause and consequence of poverty alike, thus for PRSPs to be effective regarding all poor people, countries are advised to place disability in a prominent position.Despite the near invisibility of disability issues in the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP), the disability sector was asked by the NGO Forum to provide a specific monitoring statement for the upcoming Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF) 2008 meeting. This request represents an important step for persons with disabilities to ensure that their numerous voices are heard increasingly. According to the National Institute of Statistics Social and Economic Survey 2004, the total of persons with disabilities is estimated at 4% of the total population, equaling 663,995 persons. This is also an opportunity for the disability sector, appreciative of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC)’s move to sign of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol in 2007, to point out further possible actions and current key disability issues in fighting poverty amongst people with disabilities in Cambodia.
In order to present a collective view in this statement a consultative workshop on "Disability and Development Policies" was organized on 15 August 2008 by the Disability Action Council (DAC) and Handicap International France. A total of 37 key organizations, representing disabled people organizations, NGOs and INGOs working on disability as well as the National Centre for Disabled Persons (NCDP) worked together to express their concerns, identify progress made and provide recommendations for ensuring equal participation and reduction of poverty in the following key sectors: Health, Education, Land Mine Action, Employment and Income Generation, Gender Equity and Governance within 2007 – 2010.Based on these recommendations, the disability sector urges all concerned stakeholders to do their utmost in the years ahead of the current NSDP (2009-2010) to mainstream disability in their actions and monitoring to reduce poverty and reach the Millennium Development Goals.
2- Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMI)
Monitored progress on Actions needed/ Analysis of performance
The invisibility of disability in the NSDP as well as the absence of JMI is a major obstacle for the disability sector to provide monitoring on progress (or not). As this invisibility does not reflect the reality of an improving disability sector and situation, actors of the consultative workshop have produced, for each key sector (Education, Health and Rehabilitation, Legislation, Gender, Employment and Mine Action and Victim Assistance) specific boxes which we propose, be integrated, into the relevant JMI monitoring papers for those sectors. These boxes are enclosed with this statement.3- Important Issues not covered by JMI’s or NSDP
Embracing the overall NSDP vision of the RGC "...to achieve a socially cohesive, educationally advanced, and culturally vibrant Cambodia without poverty, illiteracy and ill health where all Cambodians live in harmony free of hunger, inequality, exclusion, and vulnerability (…) to contribute to further progress of the country and for an increasingly higher standard of living" we would like to propose recommendations on how also this current NSDP and JMIs could better address the poverty situation of all Cambodian citizens through a more disability-aware perspective in monitoring and actions.The Disability sector is concerned about the way disability is included in the poverty reduction process and its strategy paper, the NSDP, in Cambodia for the period 2006- 2010. While they do figure in the specific key strategies and actions to be a targeted group among the most needy and least served people "to help rapidly reduce poverty" (chapter IV, point 4.05), we note that persons with disablities are not specifically mentioned in the 15 strategic goals and 43 critical targets.
A further lack of visibility of disability in the JMI, measuring the progress with regards to the proposed actions is clearly hampering the practice and knowledge of success of poverty reduction amongst persons with disabilities. Without measuring, current actions can not be readjusted in a concerted and empirically informed way. The current lack of data on disability also creates a difficulty in planning poverty reduction strategies.Exemplifying this challenge further, the education sector of the current NSDP estimates that until 2010 the full enrollment of all children in primary school education will be accomplished, and thus an important Millennium Development Goal reached. However, information gathered from the disability sector shows that a high number of disabled children are not enjoying the benefits of enrollment and education. Without specifically measuring the enrolment and progression in education of children with disabilities we are –concerned that this goal is not truly reachable.
We can assume that similar major challenges apply in the other sectors and so negatively influence the process to reach the main MDG of halving extreme poverty by 2015.Recommendations:
Therefore, we would like to recommend to the RGC and other major development stakeholders to:- Include disabled people as a category and specific target group for poverty reduction actions, monitoring and strategies across the major sectors of health, employment, infrastructures, governance, gender, and education;
- Take note in the meantime of the National Plan of Action for PwDs including Landmine/Explosive Remnant of War (ERW) Survivors;
- Equally important, support attempts for a national disability survey to assess the impact of disability and environmental barriers on poverty reduction across the sectors. Organizations of Disabled People should be included in monitoring exercises as well as in capacity building initiatives.
- Lessons learned from successful mainstreaming women and gender concerns in development can be guiding this change of practice. Monitoring poverty reduction action and allocations of budgets thus should be undertaken including the assumed percentage of people with disabilities in Cambodia, using the expected new figures from the 2008 Census in which disability was for the first time included.
Complementary Boxes
Keys issues for Disability sector about Education
Achievements
- A Policy on Education for Children with Disabilities was adopted in February 2008;
- New schools built as part of Cambodia Education Sector Support Program (CESSP) incorporate ramps into their design;
- Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has agreed to provide a classroom in a government primary school in Phnom Penh for children with severe intellectual disabilities from the Rabbit School;
- MoEYS has issued a circular approving the employment of government teachers by NGOs to teach children with disabilities;
- Children with disabilities are now recorded in the Student Enrolment Register and this data will be incorporated into the Education Management Information System from 2009;
- The Teacher Professional Standard developed by MoEYS makes specific references to children with disabilities;
- A new teacher training manual on Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities is being developed by MoEYS with the DAC and supported by UNICEF.
Recommendations
- Disseminate and implement the Policy on Education for Children with Disabilities;
- Make specific policy and provisions for children with severe and intellectual disabilities;
- Clarify the rights of persons with disabilities to become teachers;
- Provide simple guidelines to teachers on identification of children with disabilities and completion of the student register;
- The Education Strategic Plan should include specific targets/ indicators related to education for children with disabilities;
- NGOs to support MoEYS to take increasing responsibility for special education/ integrated classes;
- Disseminate the teacher training manual and train teachers in Braille and sign language;
Keys issues for Disability sector about Governance/ Legislation
Achievements
- On 1 October 2007, the RGC was one of the first member states to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (PwDs) and the Optional Protocol (‘the CRPD and OP’);
- Prior to the dissolution of the Senate to allow for the 2007 elections, the RGC had sent the final draft law on Protection and Promotion of the PwDs’ Right, The Protection and Promotion of the Rights of PwDs (‘the PPRPD’), to the National Assembly to be voted into national law;
- The domestic Education Law was passed in 2007 and MoSVY has agreed to review the application of the Common Statute of Civil Servants Chap. II Article 11; 5 to ensure PwD’s are not discriminated against in the civil service’s hiring procedures.
Recommendations
- The RGC having taken the initiative with the CRPD and OP is now encouraged to work towards full ratification of both of these items of international law;
- Upon resumption of the new parliament, the RGC is similarly encouraged to bring into law the PPRPD and to fully implement the Education Law;
- In view of the impending domestic and international disability laws that are destined to be become part of the Cambodian legal system, the RGC is encouraged to:
- Undertake a review of the compatibility of the CRPD with the PPRPD and all other domestic laws and;
- To work towards removing any discriminatory practices identified and;
- To facilitate the dissemination of information to the people on their rights under the CRPD and PPRPD.
Key issues for Disability sector about Health and Rehabilitation
Achievements
- In collaboration between physical rehabilitation center and provincial hospital, individual agreements for referring persons with disabilities for different need (operation, general health intervention etc) are implemented;
- Some institutions have already provided health services and medical rehabilitation for PwDs such as Emergency and Spinal Cord Center in Battambang, CIOMAL rehabilitation center, Children Surgical Center in Kien Khleang, Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope, National Pediatric Hospital, 11 physical rehabilitation centers and some other provincial hospitals;
- A joint agreement between MoSVY and 5 NGOs in charge of the provincial rehabilitation centers have been signed, stating the official handover to MoSVY in 2011;
- Medical and physical rehabilitation themes have just been introduced to every provincial hospital through the tour training program organized by MoH, department of preventive medicine;
Recommendations
- The Ministry of Health (MoH) should include disability issues in its strategy plan and set up policy framework for PwDs;
- RGC should assign a focal point ministry to establish mechanisms of coordination, for health and physical rehabilitation;
- To effectively enforce the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed for the rehabilitation sector, comprehensive actions for sustainability (HR, financial, other) in relation with the successful experience of the health sector should be implemented;
- To implement a policy of physical accessibility to all health structures in the country (starting by hospitals);
- All public and private health educational establishments should integrate disability in their study programs.
Keys Issues for Disability Sector about Employment
Achievements
- The Social Security Fund has been established by the MoSVY as well as the Veteran Association, opened officially on June 21, 2007;
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Communications had initially announced to recruit PwDs as its new staff in March 2008;
Recommendations
- The accessibility to the job advertisement information and to working places of PwDs are also very crucial points for improving the employment opportunities for PwDs;
- Awards should be given by the government to the NGOs and private companies who have recruited persons with disabilities to work in their workplace;
- The Labor Law should clearly specify about persons with disabilities in its chapters to promote and protect them at the workplace;
- The government should increase the budget package for vocational training, which is able to cover the needs of PwDs;
- The public buildings and facilities such as accommodation should be physically accessible and improved for persons with disabilities;
Keys Issues for Disability Sector about Gender
Key Achievements
- Some forums have been developed for women with disabilities and they also are encouraged to take lead in some self help groups;
- The policy on gender has already been developed by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) on April 2008 and this issue has been mainstreamed in other policies and legal instruments;
Recommendations
- The RGC should mainstream or include women with disabilities into the MoWA and establish a department to take responsibilities for women with disabilities;
- MoWA should develop a small package of grant for local organizations working on gender awareness raising for women with disabilities;
- The RGC should reinforce all existing law, policy and other legal documents, including issues of women with disabilities;
- The RGC, especially MoWA should raise women with disabilities issue in gender mainstreaming strategy and allocate budget into particular package to overcome all barriers.
Keys Issues for Disability Sector about Mine Action and Victim Assistance
Achievements
- The number of mine victim are decreased dramatically thank to the works in prevention and de- mining;
- The draft Pre-hospital and Hospital Trauma Care Policy is developed;
- First Aid programme is being implemented by MoH, Cambodian Red Cross and NGOs;
- The draft National Plan of Action for Persons with Disabilities including Landmine/Explosive Remnant of War (ERW) Survivors is developed in 2008;
- The Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program has been implemented in 19 provinces;
- Eight de-mining agencies, licensed by the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance (CMAA), continue to work in Cambodia.
Recommendations
- The MoH should adopt the draft Pre-hospital and Hospital Trauma Policy as soon as possible;
- Government should encourage MoH to extend its Program of First Aid nation wide;
- The RGC should speed up the finalization and adoption of the draft National Plan of Action for Persons with Disabilities including Landmine/ERW Survivors as soon as possible;
- The RGC should extend the CBR program nationwide/24 provinces in an effective and efficiency manner and must ensure that PwDs will participate in the program;
- The RGC should improve the quality of emergency and medical care systems in 24 referral hospitals and establish Spinal Cord Injury service in the 11 PRCs;
- The RGC should use equity fund more widely and include appropriate beneficiaries including persons with disabilities;
- The RGC should improve the capacity building for concerned government officers in delivering good quality services;
- The RGC should encourage Mine Action operators to expand their services to reduce the risks of disability.
4. Contact Information
For more information on the issues raised in this paper, please contact:Focal Point for the Statement:
- Handicap International France: Mr. Ken Ratha, Project Manager (Tel: 017 545 527), Email: pm-prsp@hicambodia.org
- DAC: Mr. Ham Hak, Partnership and Communication Manager (Tel: 012 850 665) Email: hamhak@dac.org.kh
Contributors to the statement:
- KPF (Mr. Kong Vichetra) and DAC (Mr. James Clarke) – Education Box
- CDPO (Mr. Eang Chan Dara) and CT (Mr. John Honney) – Legislation Box
- NCDP (Mr. Ean Nil) – Employment Box
- DAC (Ms. Meas Mao)- Mine Action and Victim Assistance Box
- CDMD (Mr. Set Veansna) – Gender Box
