Steps Being Taken to Expedite Implementation of National Plan
Special efforts and measures are being adopted by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education to expedite implementation of the National Plan of Action of Persons With Disabilities, said Minister of Social Welfare and Special Education Samina Ghurki.
She stated this while addressing the concluding ceremony of a National Consultation on Barriers to Inclusive Development. The meeting was organised jointly by Sightsavers International, STEP and CHIP, with financial assistance from the Department for International Development.
The minister said the national policy for persons with disabilities reiterates inclusion as a key priority. “Inter-coordination among different departments for mainstreaming disability and inclusive development cannot materialise without active participation of persons with disabilities,” the minister further said.
Samina acknowledged the role of disabled persons’ organisations in promoting inclusive development by way of increased interaction and community awareness. She assured the participants that the recommendations emerging from the workshop would be implemented in true spirit.
Earlier, the Country Director of Sightsavers International Niaz Ullah Khan explained that the purpose of the meeting is to increase understanding about inclusive development, and provide opportunities for networking and linkages among different actors and organisations. He termed distorted data and lack of appropriate social protection provisions as the key challenges.
President of STEP Atif Sheikh emphasised the need for active participation of disabled persons’ organisations in local development initiatives. Lubna Hashmet, the chief of CHIP, shared the feedback received from all the four provincial consultation meetings held in 2009.
The inaugural session was chaired by Prince Abaas Khan, Director General of the Directorate of Special Education. Later on, two key panel discussions about inclusive development challenges and social inclusion were held where experts from the Ministry of Education, UNESCO, PPAF, international organisations and academic institutes shared their experiences and practices.
In the end, the participants reviewed the provincial consultations in a group to draw national recommendations. The workshop was attended by more than 50 participants across the country including a significant number of persons with disabilities.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=229733
Filed under: News from Pakistan on March 18th, 2010
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