Yogyakarta, The PRAKARSA - The PRAKARSA together with OHANA Indonesia held a discussion activity with the topic "upholding participation of civil society organizations and organizations of people with disabilities in Brazil C20 Engagement”. This activity is carried out independently hybrid and represented by Binny Buchori The Management Board PRAKARSA and Darmawan Prasetya (Social Policy Officer) as speaker and moderator of the activity. Wednesday (20/03/2024).
This activity aims to mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities in all aspects of global development issues, especially in G20 policies and commitments. This effort is carried out through active participation in Civil 20 (C20) 2024 in Brazil. PRAKARSA and OHANA Indonesia have worked together in mainstreaming the rights of people with disabilities in the G20 event since the G20 was held in 2022 in Indonesia and 2023 in India. Advocacy topics are also developing, starting from inclusive employment, to providing mobility aids for people with disabilities.
The discussion in this discussion focused on the process of involving civil society organizations (CSOs), especially CSOs with disabilities, to join C20 Brazil 2024. Binny Buchori, as international advisory committee member C20 Brazil conveyed developments regarding the formation of management within C20 Brazil. He also conveyed the importance of CSO involvement so that discussions regarding the rights of persons with disabilities remain a concern.
"The involvement of disabled CSOs in the G20 is a concrete effort to ensure that policy makers at the global level do not forget and neglect to discuss the issues of people with disabilities," said Binny.
"C20 Brazil provides an opportunity to strengthen ongoing advocacy for disability issues, because at G20 Brazil, the issue of tax justice will be the main topic, we need to see this as an opportunity to strengthen fair taxation for the provision of assistive devices for people with disabilities. "Disabled mobility aids are still often subject to luxury tax, we must view assistive devices as a right, not a commercial item," he added.
Present as speaker was Saowalak Thoungkouay, committee member Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD). In this session, he said that involvement in C20 and the Brazilian G20 procession for CSOs with disabilities is an opportunity that should not be missed. "Brazil will be a strong candidate for chairman of the CRPD this year, so that disability-related policies discussed at the G20 Brazil can also be advocated for the CRPD committee from Brazil," said Saowalak.
Continuity of advocacy for PRAKARSA and OHANA Indonesia are very important, considering the results of the agreement of the 20 G2022 Minister of Manpower Meeting that each G20 member country needs to report on developments in data collection on the number of people with disabilities, new policies and programs to encourage the participation of people with disabilities in the labor market. This report needs to be carried out every 4 years, which means it will be reported in 2025 at the G20 South Africa. Bearing this in mind, this meeting also invited CSOs from South Africa, Shuaib Chalklen - Executive Director of the Africa Disability Forum, who is also a former Special Reporter on Disability Issues at the UN.
Even though CSOs in South Africa have not specifically prepared for C20, several CSOs in South Africa have already committed to joining advocacy together with CSOs with disabilities from various countries in the upcoming C20 event. "The Africa Disability Forum is committed to joining C20 and not only representing South Africa, but also CSOs with disabilities from countries on the African continent," said Shuaib.
In the response session, Risnawati Utami, Founder of OHANA Indonesia and former member of the UN CRPD, provided an explanation of existing challenges related to tax policy, funding for human rights and development, including climate justice, universal health coverage, humanitarian emergencies, and issues -another important development issue that needs to be considered and immediately taken up by G20 leaders.
"The topic at the G20 Brazil related to tax justice certainly creates opportunities for CSOs with disabilities, where we can encourage strengthening financing for programs oriented towards upholding human rights, and in particular to provide adequate access for people with disabilities to get affordable mobility aids," said Risnawati.
Risna closed the discussion session with the slogan "No Money, No Human Rights”, where the issue of taxation is not just an accounting matter but a financing issue that is important for upholding human rights and for overcoming the multidimensional challenges currently facing global society. He also invited all CSOs with disabilities throughout the world, especially in Indonesia, both those advocating at the policy level and at the grassroots to join C20 Brazil.
