July 3, 2023
Al Ahram

Egypt has made significant strides in fulfilling the rights of differently abled people, announced President of the National Council of Human Rights (NCHR) Moushira Khattab at the 16th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP16) on Thursday.

The conference was held 13-15 June at the United Nations Headquarters in New York with the participation of state representatives, human rights organizations and non-governmental organizations.

The NCHR presented Egypt’s experience and achievements in implementing the convention’s mandates.

Egypt’s dedication to the rights of people with disabilities per standards of the convention is supported by presidential commitment, Khattab assured.

Egypt’s commitment is also evidenced by Law 10/2018 that ensures the full human rights and fundamental freedoms of differently abled people, he added.

Such commitment has increased workforce participation, alleviated stigma and raised awareness on their rights, the NCHR president added.

While there is no legal discrimination against differently abled people, many of them still face difficulty in accessing digital services and reproductive health services, Khattab clarified.

Khatab added that much of this is due to the country’s limited resources, which sidelines the most vulnerable groups such as differently abled, especially the women and children among them.

Global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian War and climate change have also contributed to exacerbating current challenges and future threats, the NCHR president.

Hence, it is necessary to mobilize funding through international cooperation to better implement people with disabilities’ rights, she added.

Additionally, facilitating public transportation and making buildings and residences accessible to differently abled people is a top priority to the NCHR, Khattab asserted.

Finally, the NCHR recommended at the conference that member countries continue to harmonize domestic laws with convention mandates and empower relevant national entities with adequate financial and institutional resources, Moushira said.

Additionally, they urged all concerned parties to raise awareness and build the capacity of professionals working with and for persons with disabilities, empower national human rights entities established in accordance with the Paris Convention Principles and finally strengthen international cooperation to mobilize resources towards improving differently abled peoples’ lives.

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