The Association Southeast Asian Nations General Election Network for Disability Access launches AGENDA II

On June 19, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) General Election Network for Disability Access (AGENDA) launched AGENDA II, the second phase of the project. Opening remarks for the event were provided by H.E. Simon Merrifield, Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, Daniel Zuchron, Commissioner of the Indonesian Election Supervisory Board (BAWASLU) and Peter Erben, IFES Chief of Party in Indonesia. They all welcomed the second phase of the AGENDA project and the continued effort to enhance accessible elections in the ASEAN region, particularly in Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. A press conference was held to outline AGENDA’s activities surrounding the July 9 presidential election in Indonesia, including a monitoring mission on the accessibility of the elections for people with disabilities in five provinces with over 300 observers in the field. The Australian Government is funding the second phase of the project.

More information about the AGENDA project:

Southeast Asia is home to an estimated 90 million persons with disabilities, which equates to approximately fifteen percent of the region's total population. They face many barriers in their daily lives, including difficulties exercising one of their most fundamental right as citizens – the right to engage in the political life of their communities. In the electoral process, many persons with disabilities cannot fully participate because polling stations are located in inaccessible locations, staffed by personnel who have not had the necessary training to provide them with the assistance they need, and/or lack appropriate assistive materials to enable the full participation of persons with disabilities. Additionally, governments, electoral institutions and political parties in Southeast Asia often fail to adopt strategies to reach out to citizens with disabilities despite their numbers. In 2011, IFES established the General Election Network for Disability Access (AGENDA) as a forum to improve access to political and electoral opportunities for persons with disabilities in Southeast Asia through advocacy for awareness and change. AGENDA is a creative partnership between IFES, disabled persons organizations (DPOs), and election-focused civil society organizations (CSOs), initially financed with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The AGENDA network's principal objectives have been to promote election access in Southeast Asia and ensure that access to disability-inclusive political processes is on the human rights agenda of regional bodies, especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In just over two years, the AGENDA network has established a strong reputation amongst key stakeholders, including organizations focusing on politics and human rights, election commissions as well as regional ASEAN and Asia-Pacific officials. The AGENDA partnership is now considered the lead Southeast Asian regional actor promoting the political rights of persons with disabilities.

To see a slideshow of the work AGENDA has accomplished, click here.