AGENDA and ADF advocated for the implementation of the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025 with ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD)

On September 22, Tolhas Damanik from AGENDA and Lim Puay Tiak from ADF participated in the Open Session of the 16th SOMSWD Meeting that was moderated by the SOMSWD Philippines. In the 15-minute open session, Tolhas and Lim introduced AGENDA and ADF as a DPO networks coalition in ASEAN advocating disability rights in the region and informed about the on-going collaboration between the coalition and the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) particularly on the webinar series on Disability Inclusion and COVID-19 Pandemic and the sectoral bodies workshop. They also raised some concerns and asked for inputs from SOMSWD on strategies to mainstream disability rights in ASEAN sectoral bodies’ activities, the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of the Enabling Masterplan as well as the 2020 progress report and the 2021 mid-term review of the implementation Enabling Masterplan. Before ending their presentation, they recalled the Chairman’s Statement of the 36th Summit that the comprehensive recovery framework must be made inclusive for all and further encouraged ASEAN to align it with the Enabling Masterplan. The open session was participated by 31 participants including representatives from ASEC, SOMSWD representatives, and government officials from ASEAN member states.