Webinar on Summary of Best Practices, Lesson Learned, Challenges in Implementing CRPD during COVID-19 Pandemic and Ways Forwards in ASEAN

On May 17, AGENDA, the Representative of Indonesia to AICHR and ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF) organized the final webinar of the series of four webinars summarizing of best practices, lessons learned, challenges and next steps in implementing the CRPD approaches and principles during COVID-19. In her opening remarks, Ms. Jillian Ray, Development Counsellor of Australian Mission to ASEAN, thanked AGENDA, ADF and AICHR Indonesia for organizing the webinar series during a challenging time and added that the webinars led to insightful and productive discussions. She stated that Australia commits to supporting ASEAN partners to promote human rights in the region is an important part of their foreign policy. Australia wants to see ASEAN  a region everyone can enjoy and exercise their rights on equal basis including persons with disabilities. H.E. Yuyun Wahyuningrum summarized the findings from the series of webinars and shared challenges and best practices for persons with disabilities on various areas such as the right to reasonable accommodation, social protection, accessible health care, respect for physical and mental integrity, education, employment, digital technology and online learning. There were four panelists on the webinar, Mr. Muhammad Joni Yulianto, Founder of Sasana Inklusi & Gerakan Advokasi Difabel/Institute for Inclusion and Advocacy of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Kieren Fitzpatrick, Director of Asia-Pacific Forum, Mr. Arie Rukmantara, Chief of Field Office & Partnership Specialist, UNICEF and Ms. Risnawati Utami, United Nations Commissioner of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) for the period 2019 – 2022. Thirty people participated in the webinar. Sign language interpretation and closed captioning were provided to accommodate deaf participants.