Kuwait aims to reinforce disability rights in line with SDG goals
Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah affirmed Kuwait’s commitment to enhancing disability rights in line with Kuwait Vision 2035 and the United Nations’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Sheikha Jawaher made the remarks during the opening of the two-day workshop titled “Kuwait and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” organized by the Foreign Ministry’s Human Rights Department in cooperation with Saud Nasser Al-Sabah Diplomatic Institute.
The event, held under the patronage of Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and other officials.
She highlighted Kuwait’s achievements in promoting disability rights by including sign language interpreter job title in the Civil Service Commission as well as launching law to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities, safeguarding their rights and fostering social inclusion.
She emphasized that these efforts are bolstered by the political leadership, evidenced by the Cabinet’s approval of a proposal to establish “His Highness the Amir’s Award for Creativity for Persons with Disabilities.”
Citing World Health Organization (WHO) 2023 statistics, Sheikha Jawaher noted that one in six people globally live with some form of disability, in Kuwait the number stands at 68,786 with disabilities ranging from physical, visual to mental.
Kuwait recognized the role of technological advancements in empowering persons with disabilities, taking note of the UNESCO/Amir Jaber Al-Ahmad Prize for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
She also called for a coordinated campaign in 2025, coinciding with the Global Disability Summit, to promote greater inclusion in education, employment, and leisure, ensuring a dignified and empowered life for persons with disabilities.
On his part, WHO Representative Dr. Assad Hafeez, speaking on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator, stressed the importance of including people with disabilities in health planning and decision-making to achieve objective global health goals.
He commended Kuwait’s collaboration with the UN to provide high-quality tools, training, and job opportunities tailored to individual talents.
UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) member, Rehab Boursli, urged intensified efforts by government, international organizations, and civil society to implement more solutions for people with disabilities that foster self-reliance and social integration, amid technological advancement.
Source: KUNA
