On the Occasion
of the International Day of Disabled Persons:
PCHR and Office
of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Gaza Organize a Workshop on
Integration of Disabled Persons in Palestinian Society
On Monday, 13
December 2007, PCHR and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
in Gaza organized a workshop entitled “Disabled Persons under International
Human Rights Law and the Complexities of the Palestinian Situation: Towards a
Vision of Integration.” Approximately 65 human rights activists, professionals
in the fields of disability, academics, and civil society activists participated
in the workshop.
PCHR’s Director,
Raji Sourani, opened the workshop by welcoming the participants and stressing
that integration of disabled persons is part of the economic and social rights
agenda. In addition, he pointed that the workshop builds on previous activities
aimed at implementing the Law of Disabled Palestinians No. 4 for the Year 1999.
The Director of
Human Rights at the office of the UN High Commissioner stated that this is not
the first joint action by the two parties on this field. In addition, he
stressed the importance of compliance of local laws with international
standards, including the Declaration on the Rights of the Disabled.
The first session
included 4 papers. Dr. Tariq Mukheimar from the office of the UN High
Commissioner talked about “Rights of Disabled Persons are Human Rights.” Dr.
Mukheimar Abu Sa’da from Al-Azhar University talked about “Democracy and
Disability Rights.” Mr. Sha’ban El-M’Bayyed, President of the National
Commission for the Defense of the Disabled, gave a critical presentation of the
rights of the disabled in Palestinian laws. The last paper in the first session
was on “Disabled Female Palestinians between the Harshness of Reality and Future
Ambitions” by Ms. Dalal El-Taji from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in
Khan Yunis.
The second
session included another 4 papers. Mr. Hatem Hamdan, Director of El-Noor School
for the Visually Disabled, talked about the role of governmental organizations,
especially the Ministry of Social Affairs, in the protection of the rights of
the disabled. Dr. Bassam Abu Hashish from Al-Aqsa University talked about the
obstacles facing civil society organizations working in the fields of disability
rights. Khalil Shaheen, Director of PCHR’s Economic and Social Rights Unit,
talked about poverty and disability. He pointed that 10% of the population in
the OPT are disabled; and that 85% of them live under the poverty line. Finally,
Dr. Tariq Mukheimar gave a vision on advocacy mechanisms to encourage the
fulfillment of disability rights.
After discussion,
the participants reached the following recommendations:
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