<div dir="auto">Hi all</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Congratulations on this great achievement and thank you for sharing this commitment with the Australian Government, on International Day of Persons with Disability.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Regards </div><div dir="auto">June Riemer </div><div dir="auto">Disability Advocate </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, 3 Dec 2024 at 11:33 am, Samuela Radakua <<a href="mailto:Samuela.Radakua@pacificdisability.org">Samuela.Radakua@pacificdisability.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="en-FJ">Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) Response to Australia’s International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy (IDEARS)<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="en-FJ">3rd December 2024<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-FJ">In its message to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Pacific Disability Forum expresses its strong support for the recent launch of Australia’s International Disability Equity and Rights
Strategy (IDEARS).</span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-FJ">On November 28, 2024, the IDEARS was officially launched in Canberra</span><span lang="EN-AU">’s Federal Parliament House</span><span lang="en-FJ"> by
</span><span lang="EN-AU">Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy MP, and
</span><span lang="en-FJ">Minister Amanda Rishworth, Minister for Social Services. The event
</span><span lang="EN-AU">was </span><span lang="en-FJ">attended by over one hundred distinguish</span><span lang="EN-AU">ed</span><span lang="en-FJ"> guests including
</span><span lang="EN-AU">many D</span><span lang="en-FJ">isability </span><span lang="EN-AU">C</span><span lang="en-FJ">hampions and
</span><span lang="EN-AU">A</span><span lang="en-FJ">mbassadors</span><span lang="EN-AU"> from Australia and neighbouring countries</span><span lang="en-FJ">. Among those present was Ms. Sainimili Tawake, Chief Executive Officer of
</span><span lang="EN-AU">the Pacific Disability Forum (</span><span lang="en-FJ">PDF</span><span lang="EN-AU">) who
</span><span lang="en-FJ">says, </span><span lang="EN-AU">‘Through this Strategy,
</span><span lang="en-FJ">the Australian Government has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing disability rights as fundamental human rights, addressing discrimination and exclusion at all levels of society.</span><span lang="EN-AU">’<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-FJ">Ms Tawake emphasised that the </span><span lang="EN-AU">S</span><span lang="en-FJ">trategy highlight</span><span lang="EN-AU">s</span><span lang="en-FJ"> the importance of
</span><span lang="EN-AU">bringing focused efforts to disability equity and rights and recognising the needs to meet essential preconditions to enable inclusion of people with disabilities in all their diversity.
</span><span lang="en-FJ">Ms Tawake added that the strategy underscores Australia’s dedication to international collaboration and
</span><span lang="EN-AU">to </span><span lang="en-FJ">ensuring that disability rights principles are integrated into broader development agendas</span><span lang="EN-AU"> on the regional and global levels</span><span lang="en-FJ">.</span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">The Strategy shows a strong commitment to ensuring persons with disabilities and their representative organisations are included in all aspects of international cooperation. Ms Tawake says ‘Moreover this Strategy shows
the Australian Government has taken on board strong advocacy calls around the need to provide appropriate support to the disability movement to enable their participation, such as core funding, capacity building, partnerships and leadership opportunities.
PDF looks forward to working with the Australian Government on the shaping and delivery of these commitments and initiatives.’<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-FJ">PDF acknowledges the Australian Government for its global leadership in developing this transformative strategy and</span><span lang="EN-AU"> is
</span><span lang="en-FJ">particularly encouraged by </span><span lang="EN-AU">the Strategy’s
</span><span lang="en-FJ">focus on the Pacific region</span><span lang="EN-AU">, and significant
</span><span lang="en-FJ">investment </span><span lang="EN-AU">of $12 million for
</span><span lang="en-FJ">assistive technology</span><span lang="EN-AU">.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-FJ">Ms Tawake concluded that while it is a time to celebrate,
</span><span lang="EN-AU">eyes must also be set on </span><span lang="en-FJ">the </span>
<span lang="EN-AU">S</span><span lang="en-FJ">trategy</span><span lang="EN-AU">’s</span><span lang="en-FJ"> set of
</span><span lang="EN-AU">disability equity </span><span lang="en-FJ">performance targets for its international development program.
</span><span lang="EN-AU">These aim for </span><span lang="en-FJ">60 percent of </span>
<span lang="EN-AU">all of Australia’s international aid and humanitarian programming to
</span><span lang="en-FJ">be performing effectively on disability equity</span><span lang="EN-AU"> by 2026</span><span lang="en-FJ">. This target will increase to 70 percent by 2030. These benchmarks are designed to hold the program accountable and ensure that
it actively contributes to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. PDF stands ready to support Australia in the rollout of the strategy.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-FJ">For more information, please email to: <a href="mailto:info@pacificdisability.org" target="_blank">
info@pacificdisability.org</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="en-FJ">End.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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