US Special Adviser on Int’l Disability Rights Minkara concludes visit to Jordan

AMMAN — With the aim of advancing the shared goals of inclusion and respect for human rights in all aspects of society, the US Department of State’s Special Adviser on International Disability Rights Sara Minkara visited Jordan from Friday through Sunday. 

The visit focused on “promoting disability-inclusive political participation, capacity building, accountability and shifting the paradigm of how we think about disability awareness from a charity approach to a human rights and values-based model”, according to a US embassy statement.

In her meetings with Jordanian government officials, civil society leaders, business groups and disability rights advocates, Minkara emphasised the US government’s support for disability rights, accessibility, equity and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all sectors throughout Jordan.

Minkara also met with HH Prince Mired, Chairman of Jordan’s Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), to understand the issues facing persons living with disabilities in Jordan.

She commended the HCD on its policymaking, planning and coordination efforts to ensure that people with disabilities can reach their full potential through access to equal economic opportunities, political participation and accessible facilities.

Minkara leads the US Department of State’s comprehensive strategy to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities internationally. She works to encourage foreign governments to enact and enforce national laws and policies and respect their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other human rights treaties.