DAC-SG met with a delegation from USAID and CT

In the afternoon of July 16, 2013 at the Ministry of Social Affair, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) H.E. EM Chan Makara Secretary General of DAC approved to meet with a delegation from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Cambodia Trust (CT); led by Ms. Sondra Sikeston, Fund Manager of International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO). The purpose of the meeting was to monitor the impact of Prosthetics and Orthotics technicians who were studying in the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (CSPO).

H.E. EM Chan Makara informed the guests about the growth of DAC; DAC came from a Local Organization to be a disability coordination mechanism of MoSVY and now DAC is a senate secretary of the Royal Government on disability with added components, roles and responsibilities in accordance with the development of disability in a national and international context.

H.E. informed the delegation about the plan to establish DAC in the sub-national level which will be the disability mechanism under national level. An effective disability action working group will be establishment in all relevant ministries and public institutions which will be a key inter-ministerial mechanism on disability issues.

Ms. Sondra Sikeston asked about rehabilitation experts in Cambodia medical and medical accompanied facilities such as Prosthetics, Orthotics, Physical Therapies, Speaking Therapies, Action Therapies and Sport Therapy etc. for rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities.

H.E. responded; Cambodia does not have rehabilitation experts in all the skills yet, it has only Prosthetics Orthotics and Physical Therapies.

In this meeting H.E. clarified that the Royal Government, under the leadership of Samdach Akak Moha Sena Pabei Thecho Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Kingdom of Cambodia and host president and H.E. Dr. Ith Samheng, President of DAC, always focus on Persons with Disabilities and consider disability is a priority sector through adopted Law on the Protection and the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ratified by UNCRPD. Recently Cambodia celebrated “the official launching on commitment of implementation of the UNCRPD”.

DAC is a senate secretary of the royal government on disability and has been given more obligations such as:

1. Organize national and international events on disability and other disability’s events
2. Develop the national strategy plans and action plans related to disability
3. Lead, manage, implement and do the reports on the implementation of CRPD

Develop the report on disability status to the royal government.