As the United Nations agency for sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA’s mandate is based on the Program of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, which calls for the realization of human rights. everyone. This includes people with disabilities and their participation in all aspects of social, economic and cultural life.

In the Asia-Pacific region, UNFPA and partners are working together to implement the Incheon Strategy to “make the law happen” for people with disabilities. The Incheon Strategy is the region’s first set of disability-specific development goals to track progress towards realizing the rights of persons with disabilities.

In the region, it is estimated that there are more than 650 million people with disabilities. However, without accurate, up-to-date, and disaggregated data, countries are unable to develop effective policies and programs, monitor the well-being of persons with disabilities, and assess the equity and impact of disability efforts. development. This jeopardizes countries’ commitments to “leave no one behind” and undermines their obligations to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This groundbreaking report demonstrates the importance of ensuring data is inclusive and provides recommendations for immediate action to improve the collection, analysis and reporting of disability data. We hope this report will be used as a tool for future advocacy and ultimately better data for all.

Bjorn Andersson

Regional director

UNFPA Asia and the Pacific