From October 10 to 12, AGENDA’s commitment to promoting disability rights and inclusion took center stage at the ASEAN High Level Forum (AHLF) on Disability Development and Partnership Beyond 2025 in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Social Affairs of Indonesia, ASEAN, and the United States government, brought together key stakeholders to discuss and strategize the way forward for disability inclusion in the ASEAN region.
AGENDA Senior Program Manager Erni Andriani, IFES Indonesia Country Director Admira Dini Salim, and AGENDA Disability Rights Advisor Tolhas Damanik actively engaged in the forum, contributing to the dialogue on disability development and partnership. The event, a part of Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship, attracted approximately 200 participants, including government officials from ASEAN member states, ASEAN Secretariat, U.S. government representatives, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, ASEAN Disability Forum, and disability activists. The AHLF concluded with the reading of the Makassar Recommendations by Eka Prastama, Commissioner of the National Commission on Disability Rights of Indonesia. These recommendations underscored the need to strengthen the regional commitment to empowering persons with disabilities. Key points include accelerating the implementation of the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025, supporting comprehensive reviews and reports on its implementation, integrating disability-inclusive development into the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, improving efforts to provide inclusive data, and enhancing public awareness of persons with disabilities
