The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in partnership with the League for Persons with Disabilities, the Taiwan Society of Disability Studies, and the Soochow University Institute of Sociology, proudly hosted the 2024 East Asia Disability Studies Forum on October 25th — 26th. This year’s theme, “CRPD AFTER and BEYOND: Interpretation, Implementation, and Implication of the Convention,” brought together over 50 delegates from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China to engage in collaborative discussions on critical issues surrounding the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Participants focused on four key topics: Reasonable Accommodation in the Workplace, Deinstitutionalisation, Supported Decision-Making, and the Possibilities and Limitations of the CRPD. Delegates shared research findings and practical experiences, enriching the dialogue around these important issues.
In her opening remarks, NHRC Vice Chairperson Wang Yu-ling indicated the Taiwan government’s efforts to incorporate CRPD into the country’s domestic laws by rolling out the Act to Implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2014. With 2024 marking the 10th anniversary of the Act, the Forum's discussions are especially timely and significant.
Following the release of two state reports by the Executive Yuan and their international review in 2017 – 2022, Taiwan has made progress in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. However, as noted by Michael Ashley Stein of the International Review Committee (IRC), “all countries are still ‘developing countries’ when it comes to the matter of disability.” This observation underscores the ongoing need for improvement in disability rights, even in countries like Taiwan where progress has been made.
This year, the Forum welcomed Rosemary Kayess, Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission and Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, who participated via video call. “In Kayess’s tenure as Vice Chair, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reviewed the state reports of Japan, South Korea, and China in 2022,” NHRC Commissioner Wang Jung-chang added. Commissioner Kayess then delivered a keynote address on "The Promise of the CRPD," moderated by Commissioner Wang.
In her remarks, Commissioner Kayess emphasized that the CRPD articulates a human rights model of disability, recognising that people with disabilities are rights holders and can exercise and enjoy their human rights on an equal basis with others. To deliver on the promise of the CRPD, she highlighted the importance of equality and non-discrimination, equal recognition before the law, full and effective participation and inclusion in society, and recognition of intersectionality. The human rights model is fundamental to the implementation of the CRPD. It is within this framework that law, policy and practice should be developed and implemented to realise social transformation.
During a Q&A session, Commissioner Kayess acknowledged that Australia has yet to introduce a human rights act to facilitate monitoring of CRPD implementation. Commissioner Wang added that the United Nations Human Rights Council recently passed an Australian proposal requiring national human rights institutions to enhance their monitoring roles regarding the CRPD, a commitment the NHRC shares in Taiwan.
The Forum featured four sessions:
1. Reasonable Accommodation in the Workplace: Discussing restrictions and challenges in providing reasonable accommodation in the workplace.
2. Deinstitutionalisation: Exploring the commitments of East Asian countries to deinstitutionalisation, alternatives to and effectiveness of institutional care, and the challenges of deinstitutionalisation.
3. Supported Decision-Making: Exploring strategies to enhance autonomy for persons with disabilities from a transnational and comparative perspective.
4. Possibilities and Limitations of the CRPD: Evaluating the possibilities and limitations of the Convention.
Stemming from the collaborative partnership between the Institute of Ars Vivendi of the Ritsumeikan University in Japan and the Korean Disability Forum in 2009, the East Asia Disability Studies Forum was officially incepted in 2016 with members hailing from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Hosted in Taiwan, this year’s event aimed to deepen discussions on the CRPD’s implementation in Taiwan and its implications for the lives of persons with disabilities. Over 400 participants — including scholars, experts, government and NGOs representatives, and graduate students — attended the two-day Forum either in person or online to share insights and experiences.
Several other NHRC Commissioners also participated in the Forum, including Yeh Ta-hua, Chi Hui-jung, Tien Chiu-chin, and Kao Yung-cheng, fostering meaningful engagements with distinguished guests from Taiwan and abroad.