KUWAIT: Kuwait has officially ratified the Berlin-Amman Declaration for Persons with Disabilities, a key document adopted at the Third World Disability Summit in Berlin. Rehab Borsley, Chairperson of the Kuwaiti Association for Families of Persons with Disabilities, emphasized that this declaration marks a significant milestone in advancing the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015.
The declaration calls for a supportive environment that enhances the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and facilitates their integration into society. It further advocates for the allocation of 15 percent of international development programs to integrate people with disabilities, who comprise approximately 15 percent of the global population.
Borsley also commended the remarks of Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah, Kuwait’s Minister of Social and Family Affairs and Childhood. She urged all Kuwaiti civil society organizations working in the disability sector to actively engage in supporting and monitoring the country’s efforts to bring the declaration to fruition. The Berlin Summit, in which the Kuwaiti Association for Persons with Disabilities participated, underscored the critical need to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities, as highlighted in both the civil society sessions and the final declaration of the summit.
Borsley expressed her gratitude to the organizers of the summit, including the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Germany, and the International Disability Alliance (IDA), for their efforts in ensuring the success of the event. She also praised the work of Kuwait’s delegation, led by Dr Al-Huwailah, the Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs, Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Al-Sabah, and Reem Al-Khaled, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Germany, along with the Embassy staff and the delegation members, for presenting an honorable and impactful representation of Kuwait and highlighting the nation’s role in the global disability rights movement.
Maryam Diab, a Kuwaiti self-advocate with Down syndrome, expressed her pride in attending the summit and representing Kuwaiti individuals with disabilities. She highlighted the appreciation and respect Kuwait has garnered for its efforts in disability care, as well as the growing commitment from governments and civil society organizations to create an inclusive world where individuals with disabilities can fully participate in society on an equal basis. Diab extended her gratitude to the Kuwaiti Association for the Families of Disabled Kuwaiti Children (KAFC) and its President, Rehab Borsley, for supporting her participation and allowing her to represent Kuwait in this international forum. — Agencies
