During his participation in the 34th Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of CARICOM [4 to 6 July 2013] in Trinidad and Tobago, President Michel Martelly has proposed the organization of a High-level conference on inclusive public policies on disability and people with special needs.

This proposal was well received by the Heads of State and Government of CARICOM who promised to maintain in their agenda, this important issue for the region, so that all members may be able to deal with the many challenges associated with different forms of disability.

During this Conference, which will take place in Haiti at the end of 2013, the Governments of the region will focus on the transversality of the question, the accessibility of services, the inclusive education, the adapted work and existing physical infrastructure.

By introducing this issue, the President Martelly said that Haiti had experienced remarkable progress in this field by gradually integrating the issue of social inclusion of people with special needs at the highest level of public decisions and interventions. He also recalled that the publication of the Act on the Integration of Persons with Disabilities and the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and that of the Organization of American States against All Forms of Discrimination, represented tangible examples.

This event, which will be conducted under the auspices of CARICOM in collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS), will have for objectives :

• To adopt the Declaration of Port-au-Prince on the Inclusive Public Policy in Term of Handicap ;

• To establish an Annual Conference (Ministerial) in the agenda of the CARICOM ;

• To create a Caribbean Monitoring Committee, which will produce an annual report on the progress made by each Member State in relation to social inclusion of people with disabilities and special needs.

The accession of the member countries of CARICOM to the proposal of the President Martelly, reflects the will of the Haitian Government, to include the social protection of people in the international agenda.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8933-haiti-politic-president-martelly-at-34th-meeting-of-the-caricom.html

HL/ TB/ HaitiLibre