On 19 October 2010, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered the inaugural address and presided over the opening of the second session of the Committee on Social Development of UNESCAP. Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Executive Secretary of ESCAP, and Senator Monthian Buntan also delivered opening statements at the meeting which has the thematic focus of “Promoting an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for people with disabilities in Asia-Pacific”.
Foreign Minister Kasit underlined the key role of ESCAP and the cooperation between Thailand and ESCAP in upholding the rights of persons with disabilities in the region. For instance, Thailand has actively supported two successive “Asian and Pacific Decades of Disabled Persons” from 1993 to 2012 as well as a New Regional Decade, which will start after the year 2012.
In this regards, the Royal Thai Government has implemented various policies at the national and international levels to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. In 2008, Thailand ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Key pieces of legislation, namely the Persons with Disabilities Education Act, the Persons with Disabilities Empowerment Act, and the Persons with Disabilities’ Quality of Life Promotion Act, have been enacted during the past few years to serve as comprehensive right-based laws for persons with disabilities. In addition, the National Committee for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities chaired by the Prime Minister has been set up to formulate policies and regulations to help strengthen and protect the rights of disabled persons.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th