INDONESIA: Representing Minister of Social Affairs Chea Somethy, Secretary of State and Secretary-General of the Disability Action Council, Em Chan Makara, is in Indonesia this week to discuss disability sector goals for Cambodia, ASEAN and the US. On the morning of October 11, he met with Sara Minkara, the United States Special Advisor on International Disability Rights in the US Department of State, to build a partnership for the benefit of persons with disabilities.
Sec. Em Chan Makara said that the United States' assistance in ASEAN is very important for the disability sector and proposed that more ASEAN countries receive assistance.
During the bilateral meeting, the Secretary of State informed Ms. Minkara that the disability sector in Cambodia is in good cooperation with the United States Government through the US Embassy in Cambodia and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Secretary of State also told Ms. Minkara that former Prime Minister Hun Sen and current Prime Minister Hun Manet are active disability advocates as Honorary Chairmen of the Disability Action Council. He said that as Cambodia is a developing country, infrastructure is being created with disability access in mind, including sidewalk features for the blind and accessibility considerations for government institutions and private businesses who install elevators, and accessible parking lots and restrooms.
He said his ministry is preparing a new draft law for the disability sector, and requested the United States to provide technical assistance to prepare for the implementation of this law in the future. He also asked the US government to help train legal professionals, including lawyers, judges and police officers, to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. The Secretary of State finished by asking for assistance in implementing the Cambodian government’s Strategic Plan on Disability in accordance with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
He also asked the advisor to consider examining the possibility of providing assistance to Cambodia in organizing infrastructure through pilot projects across the provinces to make life more comfortable for Cambodia’s disabled population.
Special Advisor Minkara said that the US considers Cambodia an important partner in ensuring disability rights and looked forward to doing good work in the future. She also expressed interest in visiting the Kingdom
Both disability advocates ended the meeting by expressing hope that Cambodia and the US will continue to build cooperation for the benefit of persons with disabilities now and in the future.
