DHAKA, May 14, 2018 (BSS) – President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today the government has been working to make an inclusive society in the spirit of ‘leaves no one behind’ in order to achieve the target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
They came up with the remarks in separate massages issued on the occasion of 2nd International Conference on Disability and Disaster Risk Reduction to be held on 15-17 May 2018 in Dhaka.
In his message, the President extended his sincere felicitations to the participants in the conference joining from home and abroad.
The disaster management structure and resilience building are imperative for disaster prone Bangladesh, he said.
President Abdul Hamid said persons with disabilities are more vulnerable and worst sufferer in a disaster situation which undermine their rights.
He said the adaptation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the UN General Assembly in 2006 is a major shift in addressing disabilities -from a charity-based to a rights-based approach and to disability-inclusive development.
Available data reveals that the mortality rate of the disabled population is two to four times higher than that of the non-disabled population in many disaster situations, he added.
The President said hence, disability inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction is very imperative to achieve overall development agenda, the Agenda-2030 “No one left behind” and Sendai Framework of Disaster Risk Reduction.
He said the 1st International Conference on Disability and Disaster Risk Management was held on December 2015 in Dhaka which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Ministry of Social Welfare Conference.
The President said the “Dhaka Declaration” widely acclaimed in the international arena. I think that the 2nd International Conference will discuss the practical implementation of Dhaka Declaration in context of disability inclusive implementation of ‘Sendai Framework of Action’.
He expressed his hope that the conference will give policy makers, development partners, experts, persons with disabilities and different stakeholders an opportunity to share progress and experiences on disability inclusive implementation of Dhaka Declaration 2015 and to reflect on future priority actions for implementation of these frameworks and plans.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also congratulated all concerned of the conference.
She said her government has been implementing social safety net programs with a wider coverage of inclusion of person with disability to reduce their vulnerability and to mainstream them in our development process.
“Our final aim is to make an inclusive society in the spirit of ‘leaves no one behind’ in order to achieve the target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” she added.
The premier expressed her hope that the conference will be a milestone on implementing the principles of the ‘United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UNCRPD)’ to ensure the participation, inclusion and leadership of person with disabilities within all disaster risk management programs.
She also hoped that the shared knowledge and information of the conference would help all stakeholders to enrich their knowledge and practices on disability inclusive disaster risk management.
The President and the Prime Minister wished the 2nd International Conference on Disability and Disaster Risk Management a grand success.