بيانات صحفية

3 كانون الأول/ديسمبر 2014

Beirut

UN in Lebanon Marks International Day for Persons with Disabilities

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Under the theme Persons with Disabilities in Emergencies: Building Resilience, Protecting Lives,” the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) today commemorated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the UN House, Beirut. The commemoration ceremony opened with speeches by ESCWA Deputy Executive Secretary Nadim Khouri, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Lebanon Luciano Calestini and UNHCR Deputy Representative in Lebanon Lynne Miller. Khouri In his statement, Khouri welcomed the partnership of ESCWA with OHCHR, UNICEF, UNHCR and UNRWA to commemorate this day. Speaking of the international day, he said: “Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by such humanitarian crises. Due to lack of inclusive preparedness measures and difficulties in evacuating during a disaster event, they face a mortality rate that is two to four times higher than for the total population.” Khouri added: “In going forward, there are a number of important areas for collective engagement. Firstly, it is crucial to enhance disability statistics in the Arab region. ESCWA and the League of Arab States recently published the first compilation of disability statistics for all 22 Arab countries, which helped to establish a regional baseline. Secondly, there is a need to build the resilience of persons with disabilities, as well as their families and communities. Finally, there is a need to continue to promote an inclusive and rights-based approach to development and humanitarian activities.” He noted that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is instrumental in this regard, especially given its high level of support in the Arab region with 18 out of 22 Arab countries having ratified it since its adoption in 2007. Calistini In his statement, Calistini first spoke of a 5-year old who was badly burnt by a missile in his neighborhood in Syria. He fled with his family to an informal settlement in Lebanon and a small ointment was the only medical support available for him. Calistini went on to say that this boy is one of many, considering that we should first acknowledge there is a huge way to go in dealing with this issue. The three broad legislative frameworks that apply to this group are at different stages of implementation, he said. “If today is to have a real impact felt by this community, then the speeches like this one should not be the result, but the action coming out of it should be,” Calistini added. He praised the action of the international organizations and NGOs who exert a lot of effort in this regard. Concluding his remarks, he stressed on the investment in inclusive education, and on the shift in attitudes of the broader population towards the inclusion of persons with disability, especially regarding the opportunities and the benefits this group can bring to society. Miller For her part, Miller noted that UNHCR is working with over 35 million people. “Of these people, around 1 in 5 has some form of disability; it is vital that these 7.68 million people are included in our humanitarian responses; we must make sure that we do not contribute to the invisibility and exclusion from consultation and decision making,” she said.Miller added that UNHCR’s primary goal for refugees with disabilities is to make sure that their rights are met without discrimination, and that they can benefit from the same protection and assistance that their families and communities benefit from. “We should aim not only to meet emegency needs, but to help people to become more resilient through developing their own skills, and through establishing support networks,” she said, adding that this is particularly important to displaced communities, whose traditional support networks have been disrupted. The commemoration was an occasion to hear voices from the ground, dealing with issues of disability, especially during emergencies. The event also included a panel discussion on “Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward for Building the Resilience and Protecting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Emergencies,” moderated by Director of ESCWA Social Development Division FredericoNeto. Speakers were Inclusion and Advocacy Coordinator at Handicap / HelpAge International Boram Lee, Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Center Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitta, President of Youth Association for the Blind Amer Makarem, Chief of UNRWA Field Relief and Social Services Amneh Saqer, and Director of the Co-Academic Programs at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Balamand Habouba Aoun and Human Rights Officer at OHCHR, Abeer Al-Khraisha. Statements converged on the importance of education for persons with disabilities, and of inclusion in schools. Speakers underlined the importance of a rights-based approach that would bring justice to people with disabilities, and the need to listen to them in order to assess their needs. The audience then watched a videotaped address by Chairperson of the Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, in which she laid out progress in the implementation of international conventions and treaties in this regard. A documentary by UNRWA was also screened on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in educational institutions, highlighting the story of Arafat, a Palestinian child. Participants in the commemoration then proceeded to the arts and handicrafts souk and the photography exhibition on display at the UN House.
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