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Friday, 31 May 2013

Tunisia: Regional Arab Workshop On the 'Disabled Person's Status and MDGs'

A regional workshop for the Arab Region on the 'Disabled Person's Status and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)' meant to prepare for the High-Level Meeting on Disability and Development opened, on Wednesday, in Gammarth, northern suburbs of Tunis.

Opening works, interim Prime Minister Ali Larayedh emphasised the need to mobilise efforts of all stakeholders to ensure fairness and equal opportunities for all categories, including those with specific needs.
Larayedh also highlighted the imperative to update and promote relevant national legislation by means of putting into effect positive discrimination programmes targeting people with disabilities, establishing a statistical system and creating a coherent database to help make policies and rectify a number of programmes.

The two-day event takes place ahead of the High-Level Meeting on Disability and Development with the overarching theme: "The Way Forward: a Disability Inclusive Development Agenda towards 2015 and Beyond," to be held during the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly next September 23 in New York, Social Affairs Minister Khalil Zaouia underscored.

Chief of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Akiko Ito underlined the need to ensure the fundamental rights of this category, namely the right to healthcare and education, while securing their integration in the development process.

The Arab world is home to nearly 53 million persons with disabilities who demand to be integrated in their respective societies, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative pointed out. About 50% of the former can lead a normal life, he specified.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Tunis Maria Luisa Fornana said there are 300 million disabled children in the world, 100 millions among whom are under the age of 5.

80 % of children with disabilities live in developing countries and 250,000 to 500,000 lose their sight annually because of vitamin A deficit, she further said.

Source : All Africa , 29th May 2013 

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