ShareKUWAIT: Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Al-Sabah, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights, reaffirmed Kuwait’s steadfast commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. Speaking at the opening of a workshop titled “Kuwait and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, she emphasized the alignment of these efforts with Kuwait’s 2035 development vision, the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the government’s 2024–2027 work program.
The workshop, organized by the human rights affairs department at the ministry of foreign affairs in collaboration with the Saud Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Institute, was held under the patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya. It included participation from Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Sheikh Jarrah Al-Sabah, as well as officials and diplomatic mission heads accredited to Kuwait.
Sheikha Jawaher highlighted Kuwait’s achievements in promoting disability rights, including the sixth batch of the national initiative “Partners for Employment”, the official recognition of the “Sign Language Interpreter” role by the Civil Service Commission, the approval of a new Kuwaiti building code to enhance accessibility and ongoing efforts to introduce a new law that ensures equality and inclusion for persons with disabilities. She also lauded the Cabinet’s decision to launch the HH the Amir’s Award for Creativity for Persons with Disabilities, underlining the political leadership’s unwavering support for this cause.
Referencing the World Health Organization’s 2023 statistics, she noted that 16 percent of the global population — approximately 1.3 billion people — live with some form of disability. In Kuwait, 68,780 individuals are classified as having disabilities, including physical, visual, intellectual and mobility impairments.
Sheikha Jawaher stressed Kuwait’s commitment to leveraging technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence, to address challenges faced by persons with disabilities and promote their societal participation. She cited the UNESCO-Prince Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Award for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities as a reflection of this vision.
The ambassador also called attention to the vulnerability of persons with disabilities in conflict zones, emphasizing the need for their inclusion in policymaking and emergency planning. She urged for collective efforts to integrate persons with disabilities into society, including launching a campaign at the 2025 Global Disability Summit to promote inclusion in education, employment, and recreation.
Dr Assad Hafeez, the World Health Organization representative in Kuwait, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of involving persons with disabilities in health sector planning and decision-making. He highlighted the UN’s collaboration with Kuwait’s government, academia, and civil society to provide training, tools, and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, aligning with global commitments to equality.
Rehab Bouresli, a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, called for intensifying efforts to implement inclusive education and integrate persons with disabilities into public education systems. She also stressed the importance of emergency preparedness, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, recommending the creation of a comprehensive database tailored to different types of emergencies. — KUNA
The workshop included a speech by Mariam Dhiyaab, a member of the Al-Tumouh Sports Club for persons with disabilities, and featured a performance titled “Give Me a Chance and See” alongside a film titled “The Rope of Humanity”.
The event marked the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec 3, the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Declaration of Human Rights on Dec 9 and the International Day for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec 10. — KUNA
