Assisting the Delegation of International Meetings for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Affairs Prepares Liaison Officer

As is known, Indonesia will hold an Asia-Pacific summit which will review progress in fulfilling the rights of persons with disabilities. The meeting, commonly known as the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Final Review of the Implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities 2013-2022 (HLIGM-FRPD) that will be held in Jakarta on 19-21 October 2022.

The HLIGM-FRPD delegates need to be accompanied by the LO to facilitate their tasks during the meeting. At the direction of the Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini, 75 LOs were prepared to participate in capacity building activities which lasted for 3 days.

They get various materials related to the duties and functions of the LO. "Their task is to accompany the delegates who are presenting at the meeting and also to help some delegation's duties," said the Acting Director of Social Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities Nursyamsu.

The LOs who participated in the activity had passed the recruitment selection to participate in the capacity building activity which was carried out for three days, from 27-29 September 2022.

Activities are packaged with the provision of materials related to the duties and functions of the LO. Participants will receive material from the Chief of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Section of the Social Development Division, Head of the General Bureau of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Director of Social Culture and International Organizations for Developing Countries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Advocacy Center for Women with Disabilities and Children of the Ministry of PPPA, Indonesian Sign Language Interpreters ( INASLI), and the ‘Prof. Dr. Soeharso’ Integrated Center in Surakarta.

The LOs are students or recent college graduates who have passed the selection. "They have followed several stages of selection starting from administrative selection, interviews, and Leader Group Discussion (LGD)," Nursyamsu added.

They served in three areas of HLIGM-FRPD activity, namely the Conference Meeting at the Fairmont Hotel, the Gala Dinner at the Ministry of Social Affairs Office, and a visit to the ‘Inten Suweno’ Integrated Center in Cibinong, Bogor.

Act. Director of Social Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities said that the Minister of Social Affairs fully hopes that the LO will be able to assist the HLIGM-FRPD Delegates.

"The Minister of Social Affairs has full hopes on the function of this LO to assist and oversee the situation during the HLIGM-FRPD activities later," said Nursyamsu.

The participants participated in the activity enthusiastically. One of them, Salma Gina, a student at the University of Indonesia, said that her motivation to become an LO was indeed interested in being involved in an inter-country conference that raised the topic of disability.

"If indeed, for example, there is an opportunity to not only help them (persons with disabilities), but also determine their fate maybe for the next 10 years," said Gina.

The UNESCAP HLIGM-FRPD was indeed held to welcome the end of a decade of Asia Pacific, so it is necessary to conduct a development review, especially towards the implementation of the fulfillment of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Public Relations Bureau

RI Ministry of Social Affairs