21 June 2010
Australia supports the Lao Disabled People’s Association to continue to promote human rights
The Australian Ambassador to Laos, Dr Michele Forster, today awarded a grant of nearly $75,000 Australian dollars to the Lao Disabled People’s Association under the Australian Government’s Human Rights Grants Scheme (HRGS).
The grant constitutes the second phase of funding for an ongoing project aimed at promoting and protecting disability rights in Laos. It will enable the Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA) to continue its important work in “strengthening human and disability rights institutional structures in Laos,” by building human rights capacity and awareness in key Government ministries. The Grant builds on the recent successful outcomes of the first phase of the project, which included significant achievements such as producing disability rights educations materials, conducting provincial capacity building workshops and training officials from seven Government ministries.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Dr Forster said “Australia was very pleased to continue our support for and cooperation with the LDPA.”
“Australia’s support will enable this project to continue to make a valuable and important contribution to improving awareness, advocating and protecting disability rights in Laos,” Dr Forster said.
“This project aims to strengthen Lao institutional structures for the protection and promotion of the human rights of disabled people in Laos. Strong institutions are vital to ensuring human rights are protected and advanced in every society, particularly among vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities. The project augments the LDPA and Lao Government’s efforts to provide disabled people with more opportunities to improve their living conditions and to contribute to Laos’ economic and social development. It will also provide practical support for Laos in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), which Laos ratified in 2009.”
Dr Forster also noted that 2010 was a momentous year for disability rights in Laos: Not only was the Lao Government moving to implement the CRPD, but it was also preparing to host the first Meeting of State Parties for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in November, with significant financial support from the Australian Government.
The Australian Government has been a long-standing supporter of practical human rights initiatives in Laos and the region. In 2009, local associations throughout the region and further afield received around three million dollars in funding under the Human Rights Grants Scheme.
The HRGS provides grant funding to non-government organisations in developing countries to promote and protect human rights in direct and tangible ways. This includes projects that promote positive change in policies or actions, educate or train human rights workers and promote observance and implementation of international human rights standards.
Applications for the 2010-2011 HRGS are currently being assessed and Australia looks forward to working with Lao partners to identify further opportunities to protect and promote human rights in Laos.