DOHA: The Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiya asserted that the success stories of institutions and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the State of Qatar are considered a global model, as Qatar has consolidated a variety of sustainable development efforts in supporting this segment at multiple levels.
During the closing activities of the two-day national forum for human rights held under the theme of ‘Rights of persons with disabilities: Protection and Empowerment’, Her Excellency said that there a plethora of challenges facing PWDs which the forum's outcomes and recommendations addressed, adding that the panel discussions featured vibrant engagements and conversations within the framework of the backing and support received from the state ministries, government bodies, educational institutions and several civil society institutions.
She added that work papers that were discussed during the forum demonstrated a multi-dimensional set of philosophical, legal, social, cultural, technological and health aspects of disability, in addition to discussing new issues of human rights from the perspectives of PWDs themselves, as well as presenting the success stories of disability relevant institutions.
In the closing session, the Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali presented the forum's recommendations which primarily underscored the importance of enacting a law on PWDs protection and empowerment and harmonizing with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to be essentially based on the existing human rights approach in handling this issue and joining the protocol of this convention.
The recommendations called for harmonizing the provisions relevant to PWDs in all legislations with the convention with the necessary inclusion of civil society organizations concerned with disability and their affiliates in discussing the relevant draft laws prior to being issued, as well as establishing a comprehensive national strategy to protect and empower PWDs within a human rights vision that goes beyond the medical care approach in handling their issues.
The recommendations also stressed the importance of establishing a comprehensive, central and national registration system to collect the data concerned with PWDs, utilize optimal regional and international experiences in this field, operationalize affirmative excellence measures in realizing the rights of PWDs, as well as prioritize special care for the rights of the most vulnerable segments, including children, women and elderly.
The recommendations recalled the importance of removing behavioural barriers and negative stereotypes about PWDs within the community through policies, plans and national programs that consolidate affirmative values and concepts that consider disability a part and parcel of human diversity, in addition to giving emphasis on the principle of realizing PWDs engagement in the public field.
In addition, the recommendations noted the continuation of the existing approach to include PWDs in the elections of the municipal council and Shura Council. The recommendations urged the expansion of PWDs opportunities to contribute to the national discussion on issues related to the movement of the state and community, with the essential inclusion of PWDs in the preparatory arrangement in setting the 3rd national development strategy which is poised to be issued and the sectorial strategies.
The recommendations stressed the importance of PWDs' inclusion in the social responsibility standards of companies and the trade sector and established a system to spur business owners who recruit PWDs in excess of the minimum saved percentage, considering the specification of the retirement age inconsistent with the privacy of this issue.
The recommendations highlighted the importance of avoiding the negative impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on PWDs by engaging them in developing smart systems, setting the policies related to their use and recognizing their right to free and informed consent to utilize these systems, in addition to adopting educational policies that ensure enrollment of all disabled children in the elementary education, establishing public centres for children with disabilities who are ineligible to be included in schools to help them access to universal and good education.
The recommendations also urged the creation of further comprehensive rehabilitation centres to enrol all PWDs, with afforded prices underpin actual inclusion and engagement in the community and prepare a code of national performance guidelines to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and relevant national legislations.
The recommendations stressed the importance of encouraging the creation of special civil society organizations tasked with protecting PWDs with their essential inclusion in formulating disability-related legislations and policies, in addition to endorsing a regional and Arab legal instrument to promote and protect PWDs, similar to regional human rights instruments.