New York, Her Excellency Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee, emphasized the pivotal role played by National Human Rights Institutions in advancing the effective implementation of the Convention through promoting the alignment of national legislation with its provisions, contributing to the development of national policies and plans, monitoring implementation, identifying challenges, and fostering a culture of rights and empowerment.
She explained that the National Human Rights Committee encouraged the enactment of the law on the rights of persons with disabilities in the State of Qatar. The Committee participated in discussions on the draft law and submitted observations and recommendations to ensure its full consistency with the Convention, culminating in its adoption in 2025.
Al Attiyah made these remarks during her address at the United Nations Headquarters in New York at the nineteenth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP19).
She noted that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities represented a global turning point, shifting the approach from welfare to rights. She stated: “Now, twenty years after the Convention, the key challenge before us is not merely recognizing rights, but ensuring their effective and equal enjoyment in the daily lives of persons with disabilities.”
She added that over the past years, the world has witnessed significant achievements, including strengthening legal frameworks, expanding opportunities for education and employment, improving accessibility to services and facilities, and raising public awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities.
At the same time, she stressed that the effective implementation of the Convention cannot be achieved without the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in the design of policies, legislation, and programs affecting their lives, in line with the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us.”
Al Attiyah further explained that legislation is only the beginning of the journey, not its end. She noted that the National Human Rights Committee has established a specialized unit for the rights of persons with disabilities and launched a Protection and Empowerment Program aimed at strengthening the effective protection of their rights and addressing the challenges they face in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
She also highlighted the additional hardships faced by persons with disabilities in territories and regions affected by conflicts and humanitarian crises. She said that challenges related to access to essential services, care, and protection become even more severe at a time when persons with disabilities are in greatest need of support and assistance.
Al Attiyah called for the twentieth anniversary of the Convention to serve as an opportunity for an honest assessment of the progress achieved, a renewed political commitment to addressing existing gaps, and greater momentum in accelerating implementation efforts worldwide.