(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     A two-day High Level Meeting on the Rights of Persons Living with Disabilities and Special Needs began in Haiti on Thursday. It is expected to conclude with the signing of the Declaration of Port-au-Prince which should outline a strategy for International Cooperation as it relates to persons living with disabilities and special needs in the Caribbean. It is also expected that coming out of the meeting concrete goals for the Caribbean, strategies to improve the production, collection and analysis of data on persons with disabilities in the Caribbean and monitoring mechanisms for agreed actions will be determined.

It is also expected that the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, policies for Disability-Inclusive Education, training and employment will be discussed. Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Independent life and Social Protection and Policies for Disability-Inclusive Societies: Promoting Participation, Accessibility, Positive Attitudes and Protection Against Discrimination are also topics up for dialogue during the meeting.

It is hoped that this meeting will serve to reignite interest and attention in addressing the urgent needs of persons with disabilities. Additionally it will promote and facilitate enhanced cooperation, exchange of experiences and information among CARICOM States as it relates to policies and legislation adopted. The aim will be to stimulate the implementation of national and regional programmes that address the rights and needs of persons with disabilities. 

CARICOM has pursued a number of initiatives to address the vulnerabilities of this segment of the population in areas such as health, climate change and the impact of natural disasters. 

Member States have also sought to increase public awareness of issues faced by persons with disabilities in society and have recognized the value of collecting data on persons with disabilities for the purpose of policy formulation. There has also been acknowledgement of the need to improve coordination among key stakeholders that provide support for persons with disabilities, including governments, non-governmental organizations, specialized organizations and civil society.