The Shura Council emphasised the role of parliamentarians in improving the living conditions of persons with disabilities, protecting their rights through legislation, monitoring its implementation, and preparing budgets to ensure a decent life for them.
This came in a speech by HE Member of the Council Dr Sultan bin Hassan al-Dosari at the meeting of the permanent committee on democracy and human rights of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held as part of the 148th General Assembly of the Union hosted in Geneva. The meeting discussed the topic of sustainable measures to improve the living conditions of persons with disabilities, including their opportunities in education and employment.
HE al-Dosari highlighted the important role of parliaments in monitoring the implementation of agreements concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, noting that Qatar was among the first countries to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, along with similar international conventions.
He pointed out Qatar National Vision 2030's emphasis on achieving equality and justice for all segments of society. He highlighted the rights afforded to persons with disabilities in Qatar under legislation, ensuring their access to education, skills acquisition, medical, psychological, cultural, and social care, as well as providing employment opportunities suited to their abilities and qualifications. He also mentioned that Doha will host the 4th World Disability Summit in 2028 in collaboration with the International Disability Alliance.
Dr al-Dosari reaffirmed the Shura Council's support for efforts aimed at enhancing opportunities for education, employment, professional development, and entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities.
In a related context, the Shura Council participated in the meeting of the Permanent Committee on UN Affairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which focused on the topic of the sustainability of UN humanitarian work. The meeting, represented by HE Member of the Council Ahmed bin Ibrahim al-Maliki discussed the humanitarian work of UN agencies and its contribution to achieving sustainable development goals, exchanging views on the subject.
Another topic dealt with reforming the UN Security Council, HE al-Maliki highlighting the challenges this entails and Qatar's support for negotiations in this regard. He emphasised the need for the Security Council to be efficient and transparent, which would enhance the legitimacy of its decisions and expedite their implementation. He also discussed Qatar's efforts in this regard and called for restricting the veto right, especially as any reform of the Security Council must go hand in hand with reforms in its working methods and decision-making mechanisms.
Furthermore, the Shura Council delegation participated in the 148th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, where speeches were delivered by participating delegations on the topic of parliamentary diplomacy.
On the sidelines of the assembly, the Shura Council delegation met with a UK parliamentary delegation led by Member of the UK Parliament Karen Bradley and Adibat Sonetivada, who is the First Deputy Speaker of the Thai House of Representatives and head of the delegation participating in the assembly's proceedings.
During the meetings, they reviewed parliamentary co-operation relations and ways to enhance them, as well as several topics on the agenda of the 148th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The Shura Council delegation also met with HE Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong, where they discussed ways to enhance the close co-operation between the Shura Council and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, along with several topics on the agenda of the General Assembly.
