[PDFlist] [Understanding the APRCEM Asia Pacific Disability Constituency]

[Villaney Remengesau]

*Asia Pacific Disability Constituency*

*Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM)*

*Background*

The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities (SGPwD) is the
representative civil society body of persons with disabilities to the
United Nations High-Level Political Forum on the 2030 Agenda. The SGPwD is
a network of persons with disabilities, organizations of persons with
disabilities (OPDs) and other allies. The Asia Pacific is one of the five
major global regions as defined by the United Nations. In the Asia-Pacific
region, there is a strong and well-established coordination mechanism; the
Asia-Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM).

APRCEM is a civil society platform aimed to enable stronger cross
constituency coordination and ensure that voices of all subregions of Asia
Pacific are heard in intergovernmental processes at the regional and global
levels. It seeks to ensure that viewpoints and voices from all subregions
of the Asia Pacific are represented and heard in intergovernmental
processes at both regional and global levels. The AP-RCEM was started and
is owned and driven by Civil Society Organizations. It seeks to engage with
UN agencies and the Member States, and it is designed to reach as many
Civil Society Organizations in the region as it can in order to harness the
voices of peoples’ movements and advance development justice that addresses
issues such as inequalities of wealth, power, and resources, between
countries, between the rich and poor, and between men and women.

The AP-RCEM engages in sustainable development processes and the Disability
Constituency is part of it. This document intends to establish a strong
Asia Pacific Disability Constituency (APDC) as well as provide relevant
information. All activities of the APDC are organized in relation to
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation and the Economic and
Social Commission of the Asia Pacific (ESCAP) Sustainable Development
Forum. Persons with disabilities as a regional stakeholder group have the
right to intervene, submit position papers and documents, hold side events,
and engage fully as a civil society stakeholder at the ESCAP Sustainable
Development Forum and related events.

*Objectives*

The key objectives are to raise awareness, amplify advocacy efforts towards
CRPD compliant SDG implementation, participate in regional UN and other
processes and opportunities and build our community and raise awareness. We
hope to bring strong messages to the next regional Forum on Sustainable
Development held by UN ESCAP as well as to create and build partnerships to
further the implementation of the SDGs for persons with disabilities with
the Member States and other actors in the region.

*Scope*

Our geographical scope is the Asia-Pacific region, with a connection to
relevant global platforms and players such as the International Disability
Alliance (IDA) and Stakeholder Groups of Persons with Disabilities (SGPwD).

Term of the Focal Point is two years endorsed by the organization’s
governing board represented by. Sub-Regional Focal Points are nominated in
a process and serve two years as well.

We note that the life of the SDGs is up to 2030.

*Establishment of the Asia Pacific Disability Constituency*

*Role of a Focal Point*

The Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) meets annually to
discuss the implementation of the SDGs. The AP-RCEM facilitates the
participation of civil society at the Forum and the Disability Constituency
under the umbrella of the AP-RCEM forms a part of that. The Constituency
works to ensure that persons with disabilities from the Asia Pacific can
unify their messages as a stakeholder group and are able to connect and
interlink messages with the wider regional civil society, the UN, and the
Member States. A key component of the organizational structure of the
Constituency is the role of Focal Point and Regional Focal Point. The Focal
Point shares information and opportunities to coordinate joint messages and
carry out advocacy outreach. The Focal Points ensure that the workstreams
adhere to the text of the CRPD, the 2030 Agenda, and other key documents.

The Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) is the current Focal Point of the Asia
Pacific Disability Constituency. The PDF Board decided in August 2022 that
the Female Co-chair will continue to serve this role as the Focal Point
with the support of Male Co-chair. The decision for the alternate focal
point will be discussed later this year.

The APRCEM Election process will conclude soon and the election committee
will share the final results. However, PDF was the only eligible nominee
for the election. Then, PDF will continue this role as the Focal Point
until the official results are disseminated.

*Membership and Participation*

If you want to be part of the Asia Pacific Disability Constituency and
receive information about the region, the implementation of the Sustainable
Development Goals, and how to engage, we are inviting you to join the
Asia-Pacific Disability Group Listserv! We will be using the listserv to
disseminate information, coordinate joint messages, and correspond about
important events.

What is the listserv? This is an open and moderated forum intended to serve
as a platform for exchange, knowledge sharing, and peer learning for the
disability community in the Asia-Pacific region. The listserv will share
information and opportunities for persons with disabilities related to the
Asia-Pacific Regional Sustainable Development Forum. Members of the
listserv are encouraged to raise any issues, make suggestions, and
communicate with one another. The listserv is open to all persons with
disabilities, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs),
non-governmental and other organizations working on the rights of persons
with disabilities, non-governmental donors working with persons with
disabilities, and disability rights advocates in the Asia-Pacific region.

To join the listserv: Click on
*https://groups.google.com/g/asia-pacific-disability-constituency-aprcem/membership
<https://groups.google.com/g/asia-pacific-disability-constituency-aprcem/membership>*


Email *tewai at visionpacific.org.nz <tewai at visionpacific.org.nz>* or
*telesia.kobiti at pacificdisability.org
<telesia.kobiti at pacificdisability.org>* to add you in the listserv.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the Focal
Point at *lanysmile85 at gmail.com <lanysmile85 at gmail.com>* or
*la at visionpacific.org.nz
<la at visionpacific.org.nz>*.

*Engagement and Structure*

*Establishment of a Core Group*

The Asia Pacific Disability Constituency proposes to create a collaborative
approach to support the work of the focal point. Division of labor will
enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in the SDG and
related events in the region.

As such we have established the Core Group consisting of the Focal Point
and the three working groups on advocacy, capacity building, and
communication. In order to establish synergies, all working group leads and
the focal point will meet once a month to exchange and to identify future
steps ahead.

Focal points role remains – representation, coordination, sharing of
information, communication with ESCAP, exchanges messages between the
global and regional level

Title of Working Group (WG)

Tasks

Advocacy Working Group

Building the membership, raising awareness in the region, drafting media
messages

Capacity Building Working Group

Establishing processes, overseeing selection, drafting speeches,
interventions, reports, submissions, schedule of webinars, holding of
thematic discussions

Communications Working Group

Raise awareness about the constituency, build the listserv and invite
people to join, sharing information about the work to ESCAP, APRCEM, and
beyond, conduct a subject-specific time-bound campaign

*Be a Subregional Focal Point*

Subregional Focal Points will carry out technical facilitation of Working
Groups, organize meetings, and maintain official records of meetings,
participants, and action steps. The subregional focal points will help to
ensure that the Working Groups adhere to the text of the CRPD, the 2030
Agenda, and other key documents, and report to the regional focal point of
the Asia Pacific.

There will be elections for the Subregional Focal Points for the SGPwD in
the subregional offices in the Asia Pacific. The elections will be
conducted later this year as well. The offices are as follows: ·

*East and North-East Asia:* China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, and Russian Federation. Associate
members: Hong Kong and Macau;

*North and Central Asia:* The Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Georgia;

*The Pacific:* Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands,
Micronesia (the Federated States of), Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New
Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Associate members: American Samoa, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia,
Guam, New Caledonia, Niue, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands;

*South-East Asia:* Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines,
Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Laos;

*South and South-West Asia:* Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the
Islamic Republic of Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

*Sub-Regional Focal Points Nomination*

Invitation for an open, transparent, and participatory application process
to identify the Sub-Regional Focal Points. This is a volunteer, unpaid
position, and the core responsibilities are:


   - · To share the information received from the regional focal point with
   organizations of persons with disabilities at the subregional level.
   - · Maintain communication and coordination with regional and other
   subregional focal points.
   - · Organize meetings, capacity building workshops/webinars in
   coordination with the regional focal points.
   - · Strengthen and engage subregional OPDs in the SDGs implementation.
   - · Work in cooperation and collaboration with the Regional Focal Point.

*Resources*

The key resource is the contribution and skills of the different members in
the constituency.

Regional, sub-regional, and national level OPDs will be a strong resource
of the group.

We also do have the support of various organizations/platforms who are
contributing mainly through the provision of guidance, management,
leadership, information sharing, creation of linkages, coordination, and
logistics support to the Focal point, groups, and respective members. Some
of the organizations/platforms include.


   - · Pacific Disability Forum (PDF)
   - · International Disability Alliance (IDA)
   - · CBM
   - · Light of the World
   - · Sightsavers
   - · Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM)
   - · Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities (SGPwD)
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