Hanoi Recommendations on Community-based Inclusive Development Towards 2015 and Beyond

Hanoi, Vietnam
28 August 2013


We, the representatives of government focal points on social welfare and development, local governments, civil society organizations, including persons with disabilities and their families/groups/organizations, the business sector, and other local partners/stakeholders from the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, gathered in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 27 to 28 August 2013, at the Second APCD/JAIF Project Regional Meeting. Attended by over 120 delegates, the Meeting was organized by the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam (MOLISA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand and the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Government of Japan were also invited to the Meeting.

Pursuing the implementation of the Bali Declaration on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of the Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community, the proclaimed ASEAN Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2011-2020, the ASEAN Strategic Framework for Social Welfare and Development, 2011-2015, the Ministerial Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022, and the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, that measures need to be taken to address such issues through strategic approaches;

Reaffirming the consensus outcome documents including the Pattaya Recommendations on Community-based Inclusive Development of the First APCD/JAIF Regional Meeting held from 6 to 7 December 2012 in Pattaya, Thailand and  the Mekong Input on the Non-Handicapping Environment approach to promote Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) of the CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam) Steering Committee Meeting of the APCD/JAIF Project held from 6 to 7 June 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand, the “Hanoi Recommendations on Community-based Inclusive Development Towards 2015 and Beyond” is developed with a goal to provide clear directions for CBID towards ASEAN Community by 2015  and beyond.

Recognizing and appreciating that the APCD/JAIF Project with the support from the Government of Japan has provided an opportunity for the stakeholders in the ASEAN Member States to share human, financial and information resources effectively to create an identity of inclusive and accessible communities for all throughout the entire region;

Acknowledging that activities in CLMV through the APCD/JAIF Project have been supported by other ASEAN Member States in the initiation and establishment of the Project in the target communities;

With the “Hanoi Recommendations on Community-based Inclusive Development Towards 2015 and Beyond”, we, the participants of the Second APCD/JAIF Project Regional Meeting recommend the following for the ASEAN Identity on CBID in line with the framework of the ASEAN Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2011-2020:

During 2013-2015, for the establishment of model communities

1) Continue the APCD/JAIF Project in CLMV with the support from other ASEAN Member States, to provide current evidence-based practices in non-handicapping environment and strategic directions towards 2015 and beyond. The APCD/JAIF Project provides a technical example to implement non-handicapping environment activities. The target communities are Kien Svay District, Kandal Province, Cambodia; Naxaithong District, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Pyapon Township, Ayeyarwaddy Region, Myanmar; and Ba Vi District, Hanoi, Vietnam;

2) Ensure that the APCD/JAIF Project continues working in partnerships with local CLMV Steering Committees and other stakeholders for implementation, capacity building, evaluation, and documentation of the Project with the goal of having accessible communities for all that can be models in their own countries and for ASEAN as a whole;

3) Utilize the results of the CLMV Baseline Survey in developing CLMV Action Plans including: accessibility of local communities; awareness of disability rights, legislation and policies on disability and development; and empowerment of persons with disabilities through opportunities for education, skills training, and employment.

During 2016-2020, for opportunities to replicate model communities across CLMV and other ASEAN Member States

1) Mainstream the perspective of persons with disabilities in the development of policies and programs across the region;

2) Institutionalize the non-handicapping environment approach towards creating the ASEAN Identity on CBID: inclusive of all people in the communities that respects diversity at the individual and societal levels, and embraces peace, unity, and harmony;

3) Promote the sharing of experiences by CLMV to other ASEAN Member States in implementing non-handicapping environment activities in their own communities towards narrowing the development gaps, and strengthening ASEAN’s comprehensive connectivity and mutual development; 

4) For CLMV to document their experiences in developing model communities for use as reference in expanding to other communities and/or for adoption by other ASEAN Member States;

5) Encourage ministries in charge of social welfare, local governments, organizations of persons with disabilities, and other relevant stakeholders, including donors, to continue to work together to be leaders and champions of rural and accessible community, using the APCD/JAIF Project as a model of partnerships;

6) Facilitate the access to and mobilization of resources for the promotion of non-handicapping environment;

7) Encourage and facilitate the key stakeholders to specifically undertake the following in creating non-handicapping environment:

   7.1. Government Ministries
- To formally support non-handicapping environment activities based on evidence of the APCD/JAIF Project by including non-handicapping environment as a core component of annual strategic plans for the government initiatives with an annual budget allocation;
- To disseminate the processes, expertise, and documentation of the APCD/JAIF Project in their countries by placing it on key decision-making bodies, including the respective ASEAN sectoral bodies;
- To support local government officials to share their experiences with other government officials at venues such as annual local government official meetings at the district, provincial, national, regional and international levels;
- To facilitate the selection of other communities for replication of non-handicapping environment activities and support implementation via a minimum of one full time staff member;

   7.2. Local Government
- To lead the planning and implementation of the APCD/JAIF Project through the Steering Committee to implement and evaluate the Action Plans in the target communities towards 2015 and beyond;
- To allocate annual budget to implement Action Plans;
- To disseminate their experiences of implementing the APCD/JAIF Project to other local government agencies with support from the relevant national and international agencies;

   7.3. Organizations of Persons with Disabilities
- To participate in creating accessible communities;
- To support the establishment and/or development of organizations of persons with disabilities in target communities;
- To collaborate with national and local government officials to share their experiences at venues such as district, provincial, national, regional and international meetings and workshops on disability and development;
- To encourage persons with disabilities to join organizations of persons with disabilities;
- To build capacities of organizations of persons with disabilities to promote non-handicapping environment to key stakeholders in the communities;
- To develop alliances with other local partners to promote non-handicapping environment;

   7.4. ASEAN
- To encourage the replication of non-handicapping environment models in CLMV and other ASEAN Member States;
- To include the outcomes of the APCD/JAIF Project as reference for future strategic directions on disability and development, including ASEAN strategic plans;
- To invite the participation of APCD to the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD) to share the outcomes of the APCD/JAIF Project;

   7.5. APCD
- To continue to provide technical support for planning and implementation, including trainings and capacity building on non-handicapping environment;
- To facilitate networking and linking of district, provincial, national, regional and international key stakeholders;
- To provide information on technologies and technical designs for accessibility;
- To provide a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences on non-handicapping environment.
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