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 A
National Symposium on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was
held in joint cooperation between the Ministry of Social
Development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and
the National Committee for Disabled Persons Affairs. The symposium
was convened to coincide with the Kingdom's celebrations of the
International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd.
The Symposium aimed to inform ministries and non-governmental
institutions of international mechanisms and agreements, and to
review a range of important concerns; including the issues of women
with disabilities, children with disabilities and community-based
rehabilitation programmes.
At the opening ceremony, H.E. Dr. Fatima Al Balooshi, Minister of
Social Development, elaborated that “the Symposium seeks to inform
ministries and non-governmental institutions of international
mechanisms and agreements, and to review a range of important
concerns; including the issues of women with disabilities, children
with disabilities and community-based rehabilitation programmes.”
The Symposium is an activity under the joint UNDP/Ministry of Social
Development Project: Development of a National Strategy for Persons
with Disabilities. The Strategy will be developed to comply with the
UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Bahrain
has already signed and is seeking to ratify. This will ensure that
the Strategy takes a human rights and development approach to
disability, focusing on the removal of barriers to equal
participation and the elimination of discrimination based on
disability. The Development of a National Strategy for Persons with
Disabilities for the Kingdom of Bahrain will take note of the
current situation with its strengths, weaknesses, threats and
opportunities in order to make sure it responds to all concerns, and
builds on the successful implementation achieved.
“This Symposium is in line with UNDP’s commitment to the importance
of active participation of all relevant parties in the development
of policies and programs. All stakeholders will participate in the
development of this strategy through the submission of proposals to
its working teams, through written proposals, or through
participation in associated workshops and awareness-raising
activities” said Firas Gharaibeh, Deputy Resident Representative.
Over 100 participants attended the two-day symposium comprising
government representatives, NGOs, and activists.
An understanding of disability as a human rights and development
issue leads to a recognition and acknowledgement that persons with
disabilities are equal citizens and should therefore enjoy equal
rights and responsibilities. This implies that resources must be
employed in such a way as to ensure that every individual has equal
opportunities for his or her full and effective participation and
inclusion in society. It further implies that the needs of every
individual are of equal importance, and that needs must be made the
basis for planning. Persons with disabilities should also have equal
obligations within society and should be given the support necessary
to enable them to exercise their responsibilities. The Strategy must
commit society to moving forward in a way that guarantees that
persons with disabilities are treated with dignity and respect and
recognizes fully their place in society.
The Development of a National Strategy for Persons with Disabilities
for the Kingdom of Bahrain will take note of the current situation
with its strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities in order
to make sure it responds to all the concerns and builds on the
successful implementation so far. It will include statistics and
disaggregated data, including for age and gender. The Strategy is an
opportunity to enhance the status of persons with disabilities and
further enhance the quality of their lives. The aim is to provide a
vision for the future and serve as reference documents for policy
makers, professionals and practitioners working with and for
children and persons with disabilities and for parents, children and
persons with disabilities themselves.
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