A preparatory meeting was held this morning at the headquarters of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in the capital, Aden. The meeting brought together deputy ministers from the Ministries of Social Affairs and Labor, Education, and Legal Affairs and Human Rights, in addition to directors general from the Ministries of Planning and International Cooperation, Industry and Trade, and Interior, as well as representatives of persons with disabilities, the private sector, and civil society organizations concerned with disability issues.

The meeting, held under the vision of “An inclusive national society for persons with disabilities, empowering them and ensuring their effective participation in society,” was sponsored by His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Zawari, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor. It was conducted within the framework of the Community Leadership Empowerment Project for Persons with Disabilities to Build Early Warning Systems, funded by Saferworld, and implemented in partnership with the Basmat Hayat Foundation. The meeting aimed to discuss a proposal to hold a national conference for the empowerment of persons with disabilities.

During the meeting, Mr. Saleh Mahmoud Abu Suhail, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labor for the Social Care Sector, delivered a speech in which he conveyed the greetings of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Zawari. He emphasized that the Ministry places the care and attention of persons with disabilities among its top priorities and works in coordination with several ministries and international and local organizations to provide full support and enable them to obtain all their rights.

Deputy Minister Saleh noted that holding a national conference bringing together government entities, the private sector, and local and international civil society organizations would have a significant impact on building broad partnerships that integrate disability issues into their programs and activities, and implement development projects that enable persons with disabilities to live their lives on an equal footing with other segments of society.

For his part, Mr. Mohammed Ali Lamlas, Deputy Minister of Education, expressed his pleasure at participating in the meeting, noting that the Ministry of Education has a specialized department—the Inclusive Education Department—concerned with all matters related to persons with disabilities. He explained that the department coordinates with other ministries and supporting organizations to implement joint programs and activities serving this group, stressing the importance of holding a comprehensive national conference to ensure their rights.

Participants discussed a number of key themes, including educational, legal, health, regulatory, and economic aspects, with the aim of improving the quality of services provided, developing regulatory frameworks, and unifying standards for determining the degree of disability.

The move toward holding such a conference comes as a fundamental step toward achieving social justice and guaranteeing the rights of persons with disabilities, through the adoption of a comprehensive participatory approach based on local and international expertise and focused on achieving tangible and sustainable results.

The meeting concluded with several recommendations, most notably that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor undertake the preparation and organization of the national conference and form a technical committee for this purpose, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, while taking into consideration the proposals and visions presented by participants.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Fadl Al-Hariri, Deputy Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights; Mr. Mawali Al-Shaabi, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Technical and Vocational Education; the Director General of the Women’s Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade; as well as directors general and representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Planning and International Cooperation, representatives of international and local organizations, specialists in the field of disability from the education and health sectors, and institutions representing persons with disabilities.

Also in attendance were Adnan Saeed, Director General of Public Relations and Media; Munia Azzani, Director General of Social Assistance and Head of the Technical Office; and Shaker Mohammed Saleh Barahma, Director General of the General Administration of Branches at the Ministry’s headquarters.