Azzeh elected Jordan’s representative to UN Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

AMMAN — Muhannad Al Azzeh was elected Jordan’s representative to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), winning 136 votes. 

This comes after a long advocacy and lobbying campaign, among state parties, which was led by the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Mission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the UN and the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), according to an HCD statement. 

Thirteen candidates from various countries competed for a seat, with only nine wining a membership in the CRPD, which works to monitor the implementation of States Parties to the Convention, review its official reports, receive reports from civil society organisations and investigate complaints received from individuals and organisations that have ratified the optional protocol to the convention.

After the announcement of the results, Azzeh stated that this win is “a massive honour” as he represents Jordan at this international level.

He said looks forward to contributing to the enhancement of the committee’s work through strengthening the communication and constructive dialogue with States Parties to the Convention and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), in a manner which will enable States Parties in the Levant especially to obtain technical and financial support and know-how to alleviate the status of disability rights. 

It will also enable the inter-agency coordination between states to ensure that UN programmes, reports and outputs are inclusive of the rights of persons with disabilities, he said. 

Azzeh added that his win is also the result of efforts and support by HH Prince Mired, who, since the beginning, has advocated and lobbied for support of the diplomatic corps in Jordan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and beyond. 

Azzeh also commended the role of the Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, as well as the Permanent Representative of Jordan to the UN Mahmoud Al Homoud. 

Azzeh also expressed his appreciation of the efforts of the Minister of Social Development Ayman Mufleh for his advocating with the Arab Group, winning the latter’s support. 

He also commended the performance of the Jordanian Mission, most notably Counsellor Rasha Shoman, First Secretary and Elections Officer Alaa Aladwan and Rania Rayyan. Azzeh also commended the efforts of the HCD team throughout the process. 

Azzeh holds a PhD with honors in Comparative Criminal Law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Alexandria and a Higher Diploma in Public Policy, Democracy, Good Governance and Anti-Corruption from the International Institute for Social Studies in The Hague, affiliated with Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. 

He is the youngest and first person with a disability in the Jordanian Senate from 2013-2016, and is an internationally accredited human rights expert, having drafted and contributed to numerous laws and legislation, such as the drafting of the CRPD, the Jordanian Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the disability rights law of Pakistan and a draft regional WHO law on disability.