On February 11, 2025, a seminar was held in Paraguay for local government officials (mayors, city officials, etc.) involved in disability policies to introduce initiatives related to the disability field in Japan, with Mr. Ken Yamada, Deputy Director of the Citizens’ Collaboration Promotion Office and Director of the Inclusive Promotion Division of the Akashi City Civic Life Bureau, as a speaker. The seminar was attended by more than 50 people from the organizer, Paraguayan Human Rights Agency for Persons with Disabilities, as well as local governments and civic groups.
Paraguay ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008 and formulated the National Action Plan on the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2020, but there are issues in terms of infrastructure, such as the construction of sidewalks, and a system to reflect the voices of persons with disabilities in municipal policies is not yet in place. In this context, the technical cooperation project “Promotion of Social Participation of Persons with Disabilities” launched in the country in August 2024 aims to promote social participation of persons with disabilities at the local government level by establishing a platform for dialogue between persons with disabilities and the government at the local government level, targeting five cities. Specifically, the project aims to establish a platform for dialogue that brings together the National Agency for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Human Rights (SENADIS), the Municipal Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COMUDIS), the Office of Disability Affairs, and organizations of persons with disabilities and support groups, as well as strengthen the capacity of those involved in creating such a platform.
In this context, we have received cooperation from Akashi City in Hyogo Prefecture, which has long promoted efforts to create a community where all people, both those with and without disabilities, can live safely and securely in the community. The tour was conducted with the cooperation of Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture.
Akashi City will enact the “Inclusive Community Development Ordinance for All People to Live as They See Fit” in 2022, and in the process of examining the ordinance, the city has emphasized dialogue with people with various types of disabilities and their supporters. In addition, the city is working to create a city where everyone can live safely, both with and without disabilities, through a subsidy system for businesses that provide reasonable accommodations (the city will cover the costs of installing Braille menus, writing boards, ramps, etc., depending on each application), training for city employees, and other programs.
In this seminar, he talked about how Akashi City has been increasing opportunities for “dialogue” with citizens and how it has been tackling this issue, using several specific examples. Participants actively asked questions such as, “How were all parties involved in the study of the ordinance in the midst of personnel changes within the city hall?
JICA will continue to strengthen cooperation with Akashi City and local officials to promote social participation of people with disabilities in Paraguay. JICA will continue to strengthen its cooperation with Akashi City and other local stakeholders to promote social participation of people with disabilities in Paraguay.
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