New York, 10 March 2026 — ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF) held a bilateral meeting with UN Women in New York, bringing together ADF representatives Ms. Saowalak Thongkuay (Chairperson) and Ms. Maulani A. Rotinsulu (General Secretary), along with Dr. A.H. Monjurul Kabir, Senior UN System Coordination Adviser and Global Team Leader for Gender Equality, Disability Inclusion, and Intersectionality at UN Women Headquarters, and Maribel Derjani-Bayeh, UN Women Policy Specialist.

The meeting took place in an informal setting, aiming to strengthen connections and open initial discussions on potential future collaboration. During the meeting, ADF introduced its work and priorities in advancing disability inclusion and gender equality across the ASEAN region. ADF shared its ongoing efforts in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities, through regional advocacy and engagement. ADF also explored potential areas of support from UN Women, seeking insights on how the agency could contribute to strengthening disability-inclusive gender equality efforts in ASEAN. The discussion focused on possible collaboration, programmatic support, and technical assistance.

UN Women welcomed the exchange and expressed openness to continued engagement and future collaboration with ADF. The meeting highlighted mutual interest in advancing inclusive approaches that integrate gender equality and disability inclusion. This meeting marks an initial step toward building a stronger partnership between ADF and UN Women in promoting inclusive and equitable development in the ASEAN regio