Qatar asserted that it had achieved many milestones for persons with disabilities at the local level, along with its interests in backing regional and international efforts in this respect.
This came during the inaugural remarks delivered by HE the Minister of Social Development and Family, Chairperson of the 42nd Meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser al-Misnad before the 16th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP16) that kicked off on Tuesday at the UN Headquarters in New York. The session is running for three days.
Her Excellency said Qatar gives a special attention to the rights of persons with disabilities both at the national, regional and international levels and was the first country that ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008.
She pointed out that Qatar has managed to make numerous achievements for persons with disabilities at the legislative and executive levels, adding that one of the most outstanding achievements is the creation of high-quality professional centers for the service of persons with disabilities.
Her Excellency affirmed that Qatar has invested its presidency of the 42nd Meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs in adopting several initiatives that support full integration for persons with disabilities, including Arab Decade for persons with disabilities 2023-2032 and Arab Classification for Persons with Disabilities, pointing out that the two initiatives epitomize the most crucial accomplishment for the Arab region in this respect.
In a related context, HE al-Misnad revealed that Qatar hosted the Day of Persons with Disabilities, which coincides with Dec 3, each year, in co-ordination and partnership with the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States.
She revealed that Doha hosted the 2nd edition of "Living Independently for Persons with Disabilities," initiative that was initiated by the United Arab Emirates, recalling that Qatar is set to host the fourth Global Disability Summit 2028, in co-operation and partnership with International Disability Alliance.
Meanwhile, Qatari youth Ghanim al-Muftah delivered a speech on his capacity as representative of Qatari society organizations for persons with disabilities and said that he is proud to represent Qatar in the international conference being convened at the UN Headquarters.
He expressing his utmost pleasure to participate in the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament, describing it the best edition ever in the history of world cup tournaments, in terms of facilitations that were offered to fans especially persons with disabilities who flocked to Qatar from all over the world and enjoyed the tournament's events that witnessed unprecedented and dazzling preparation and organisation in the history of one of the most prominent tournaments in the world.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is an international mechanism that reviews this convention and lays out the stances of states with respect to national policies pertinent to persons with disabilities' integration.
This year session is poised to discuss many files, including reproductive health and possibility of accessing it, along with promoting health services deserved by a segment of persons with disabilities.
