[WSIS CS-Plenary] Finalization of the CS Statement

[Elizabeth Carll, PhD]

Dear All

The drafting group has, from all of the posts and previous discussion, the
information concerning the issue of physical and mental health and it will
simply have to make a decision as to whether to:

1. support consistency with the previous CS Declaration, and language of
other UN documents
2. support specificity for successful implementation and use language which
governments recognize in the allocation of resources
3. recognize that physical and mental health is disconnected (as the
Disability Caucus was unable to cite one country that has physical and
mental health as seamless services of primary care) and therefore requires
identification of both as part of the health section
4. base recommendations on the reality of the current status of physical and
mental health as opposed to wishful thinking.
5.  recognize that mental health issues are broader and apply to the entire
population and not only the disability community and therefore the broader
context needs to be taken into consideration.
6. respect the expertise of working groups which relate directly to the
substantive matter, especially when others cannot cite information to
support their positions.

I would like to thank the members who are working on the finalization of the
draft, as it is no easy task.  As the decision was to be made this evening,
hopefully this will take place.

Best regards,

Elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth Carll
Health and ICT Working Group
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies;
Communications Coordination Committee for the UN;
UN NGO Committee on Mental Health