Prince Mired meets US State Department’s Special Adviser on Int’l Disability Rights

AMMAN — HH Prince Mired, President of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), on Saturday met with Sara Minkara, the US State Department’s Special Adviser on International Disability Rights at the HCD.

The meeting was held as part of a series of meetings that Minkara is holding in Jordan and Saudi Arabia with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, government leaders, civil society and members of the business community, with the aim of strengthening the commitment of governments and civil society organisations to protect human rights, advance the status of the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure their inclusion and full participation in society, according to a statement from the HCD.

Minkara said that her visit is in support of efforts to include the rights and concerns of persons with disabilities in the agendas of institutions and agencies.

Minkara also praised the important role of the HCD in providing technical support to various institutions that enables their work in disability rights, as well as the HCD’s efforts to spread awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Minkara concluded her statement by expressing readiness to cooperate and coordinate with the HCD and to support its work on vital projects such as inclusive education, accessible tourism and deinstitutionalisation.

Prince Mired welcomed Minkara’s visit, expressing his appreciation for the continuous support for HCD work by the USAID programmes that are part of the US-Jordan Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for economic development assistance. 

The prince also provided an overview of HCD’s achievements to place the rights of persons with disabilities on the agenda of executive institutions, as well as the social challenges during the implementation of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

His Highness also noted the importance of the visit with regard to disability rights in Jordan and its significance to the American administration; all of which call for continuous optimism and provide an impetus for all parties to support the disability portfolio in Jordan — thanks to the supportive political will in the country and the hard work of stakeholders in the field, the statement said.

HCD Secretary-General Muhannad Al Azzeh reviewed the legislative status quo in Jordan concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, including the draft and issuances stages of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and recent constitutional amendments that HCD helped draft. 

The secretary general placed specific emphasis on the fifth paragraph of Article 6, which affirms the state’s commitment to promoting inclusion and the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as Article 75, the wording of which was amended by replacing derogatory words such as “insane” and “crazy”, used to prevent persons from being elected or appointed to parliament, with rights-based terms and terminologies.

Azzeh also highlighted the law’s implementation showcasing portfolios relating to inclusive education, accessibility, deinstitutionalisation and issuance of ID cards. 

The prince concluded by expressing his appreciation for USAID’s continuous support of the HCD, particularly various capacity development programmes. He also praised Minkara’s efforts to promote the cause of disability worldwide, especially in the region.