December 3: International day of Persons with Disabilities

"Independent living and systems of sustainable livelihoods" is the motto for the commemoration, on 3 December, of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This will be the tenth occasion dedicated to raising worldwide public awareness regarding the need for persons having disabilities to enjoy greater integration of in all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life, following Resolution 47/3 of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which established this commemoration in 1992.

The motto this year not only underlines the important relationship between the capacity to live an independent life and the systems of sustainable livelihoods but also calls attention to the important role that persons with disabilities can fulfil in development as well as in the pursuit of the objectives concerning equality and participation in all aspects of life. The concept "independent living and systems of sustainable livelihoods" seeks to emphasize the close connection between human rights and development, considering human rights to be a systematic guarantee of access for all people.

In May 2002 the Economic and Social Commission for Asian and the Pacific, ESCAP adopted the resolution 58/4 that proclaims the extension of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, for another decade, 2003-2012.

Numerous institutions and organizations of civil society throughout the world are preparing activities to increase public awareness in this sense. If the Thematic Groups of the Network wish to add this theme to their agenda, they can find information at:

Interregional Consultative Expert Meeting on disability-sensitive policy design and evaluation for sustainable livelihoods for all in the twenty-first century Jakarta, 15 to 17 January 2002,

Panel Discussion on Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities, International Day of Disabled Persons, 3 December 1998, United Nations Headquarters,

Empowering the rural disabled in Asia and the Pacific.