Prince Mired meets with EU Delegation

AMMAN — HH Prince Mired, Lord Chamberlain and President of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), on Wednesday received a European delegation, led by EU Ambassador to Jordan Christophe Chatzisavas,  accompanied by the French and Belgian military attachés, as part of their official visit to the Kingdom.

During the meeting, held at the HCD headquarters, Prince Mired reviewed Jordan’s “notable” progress in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly since the Kingdom’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2008, according to an HCD statement.

The prince highlighted key achievements and reaffirmed the prioritisation of disability rights within national institutions. He also acknowledged the “persisting” challenges in realising these rights, stressing HCD’s ongoing efforts to address them through multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Chatzisavas commended Jordan’s leadership in co-hosting the Global Disability Summit in partnership with Germany and the International Disability Alliance, and the efforts to protect persons with disabilities and include them into society.

HCD Secretary-General Muhannad Azzeh outlined the legislative advancements achieved in recent years, most notably the enactment of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities No. 20 of 2017.

This law stands as the first anti-discrimination legislation of its kind in the region and affirms the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, Azzeh added.

In discussing national implementation strategies, Azzeh referred to the 10-year inclusive education strategy, the national plan to improve accessibility in existing buildings and public facilities, and the national strategy to replace institutional care with community-based support services.

He noted that Jordan’s selection as a co-host of the Global Disability Summit reflects its sustained progress in legislative and policy domains concerning disability inclusion.

This recognition, he pointed out, will serve to boost Jordan’s international positioning and facilitate the establishment of global partnerships that support national priorities in the area of disability rights.

Azzeh also underscored Jordan’s leading role in shaping the summit’s final outcome document, the “Amman-Berlin Declaration,” which introduced the “15 for 15” principle, encouraging states parties and international actors to allocate at least 15 per cent of all development cooperation projects to be inclusive of persons with disabilities.

He noted that Jordan led globally in the number of commitments made, with 133 commitments from 88 entities, spanning government institutions, national bodies and the private sector.

Azzeh stressed that the fulfilment of these commitments requires the mobilisation of resources and implementation within clear timeframes, in close consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.