PHNOM PENH: The Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth (MoSVY) and Secretary-General of Disability Action Council (DAC), Em Chan Makara, has said that supporting persons with disabilities (PWDs) means promoting disability rights and improving the situation of PWDs in Cambodia, adding that this work will require the participation of all stakeholders. In this regard, he said that the valuable contribution of the Ministry of Economy and Finance greatly helps the effective promotion of the rights of PWDs.

The MoSVY Secretary of State, Em Chan Makara, spoke at a seminar, on behalf of the Minister of Social Affairs, Vong Sauth, to disseminate the National Disability Strategic Plan 2019-2023 among leaders and officials of the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Friday morning (29 April). During his speech, he said that the Royal Government of Cambodia has set a vision for PWDs and their families, for them to “have a good quality of life and be able to participate equally in society, with respect for their rights and dignity, as well as establishing a disability-inclusive environment in all areas.”

He continued that based on this vision, the Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to launch the National Disability Strategic Plan 2019-2023, which is the second stage in defining this vision and forming the roadmap to continue promoting the elimination of barriers faced by PWDs in society.

He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia has won the battle against Covid-19, restoring the economic situation and establishing the full peace and complete political stability that Cambodia has today. He said that this has provided an opportunity for Cambodia to further develop its disability sector so that PWDs receive support in various forms, such as through the establishment of physical and medical rehabilitation centers, prosthetics factories, vocational training centers for PWDs, the National Center for Infants and Children and the Center for Care and Rehabilitation of the Mentally Ill.

The Secretary of State lamented, however, that the Covid-19 pandemic greatly affected PWDs, and also hampered the effective implementation of this strategic plan. In light of this setback, he urged all leaders and relevant officials of the Ministry of Economy to join DAC in expediting the implementation of this national plan.

He said, "In this regard, the attention of the leaders and relevant officials of the Ministry of Economy and Finance is of great value and an indispensable contribution to accelerating the implementation and effectiveness of the [national] plan. This is to ensure that PWDs have access to increased employment and economic security, increased access to health services and rehabilitation, access to technical and vocational education and training, facilitation of equitable participation, access to justice and freedoms, ensuring gender equality, mitigating the risks and impacts of disasters, as well as strengthening cooperation within the national and international frameworks and ensuring reliable and comparable disability data and statistics."

The Secretary of State expressed that he believes this workshop is an important step for leaders and officials of the Ministry of Economy and Finance to consider allocating the national budget for the priority implementation of the National Disability Strategic Plan, as well as for budget allocation to the relevant ministries, institutions and sub-national administrations that can effectively implement the Royal Government’s strategic plan to success.

Also speaking at the workshop was the Second Secretary of the Australian Embassy in Cambodia, Connor Floyd. During his speech, he acknowledged the great commitment of the Royal Government of Cambodia towards achieving an inclusive society, and realizing the rights of PWDs in all sectors. He noted that the Royal Government’s commitment has materialized through the development of a law to promote the rights of PWDs in 2009, the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2012, the development of the first National Disability Strategic Plan from 2014-2018, and the current National Disability Strategic Plan from 2019-2023.

He stated that the Government of Australia is a long-standing partner of the Royal Government regarding the advancement of the rights of PWDs, and through the Australia Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Service (ACCESS) program, which involves close collaboration with the DAC Secretariat General, MoSVY, the Persons with Disabilities Foundation and civil society stakeholders, to ensure effective implementation of the national strategic plan.

He said, “A unique and challenging aspect of the National Disability Strategic Plan is that its scope cuts across all sectors and its implementation therefore requires the active engagement of a large number of Line Ministries and Subnational Administrations. Promoting disability inclusion is not the duty of MoSVY alone, but it should be part of everyone’s agenda, be it through dedicated activities and program budget or mainstreaming into the core mandates of the government agencies at all levels and sectors.”

He noted that a few ministries have dedicated disability interventions and budget from the Royal Government, such as the Ministry of Education supporting special education for students with disabilities, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs supporting women and girls with disabilities, and other ministries integrating disability inclusion across their core activities in other ways such as through service delivery, capacity development, accessible infrastructure, and social protection. With that said, he also noted that resources still remain limited to meet demand across all sectors, particularly in the context of Covid-19 response and recovery, therefore, he hopes that this workshop with the Ministry of Economy and Finance will help the ministry become more familiar with the key priorities of the national strategic plan and its relevance to the annual budget of key ministries and subnational administrations.

The ‘National Disability Strategic Plan 2019-2023’ was prepared according to the reflections on the implementation of the previous National Disability Strategic Plan 2014-2018. This national plan is the basis for accelerating the implementation of the Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the development plan for policies regarding disability and the legal status of Disabilities, the CRPD, the Decade of Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and, particularly, the fourth phase of the Royal Government of Cambodia's Rectangular Strategy to ensure that the lives of person with disabilities in Cambodia are improved.