Geneva / Information Office / March 03

The State of Qatar affirmed its firm belief in the rights of persons with disabilities, and its full commitment to support these rights on an equal basis with others and their full integration into society, reaffirming that it has worked to ensure the strengthening of the right-based support approach, and to include these rights in relevant national legislation, and in Qatar National 2030 vision, which stipulated to ensure the achievement of equality and justice for all groups and sectors of society.

This came in the speech of the State of Qatar during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities at the 46th session of the Human Rights Council, delivered by the second secretary of the permanent delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations office in Geneva Abdullah Al Ali.

Al Ali said that in light of the current global challenges posed by the continuing spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the State of Qatar calls for ensuring equal and equitable access to vaccines against the virus for all in an accessible and affordable manner, and urges that persons with disabilities be given priority in obtaining the vaccine due to the special impact on this group as a result of this pandemic.

He explained that within the framework of the Special Rapporteur's future priorities, Qatar encourages him to pay attention to the issue of family support to play its role in promoting the enjoyment of persons with disabilities of their rights, as the family remains the natural environment in which persons with disabilities can enjoy their rights in independence and dignity, and to participate actively in all areas of life.

Abdullah Al Ali also affirmed the State of Qatar's full support for the mandate of Gerard Quinn, while taking note of the issues that he identified as priorities in the framework of his future work.