UN Resident Coordinator's Speech at the opening of the "Disability Inclusion Workshop"

Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, and most importantly, representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities,

It is a privilege to be here with you today as we come together to assess progress, identify key challenges, and chart a path forward for disability inclusion in Jordan. 

I extend my sincere appreciation to our UN partners, Human Rights Unit at the Prime Ministry, the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, civil society organizations, and all stakeholders who have made this initiative possible.

In recent years, Jordan has made significant strides in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. 

In 2022, Jordan was recognized by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities as a leader on disability rights in the region. 

Jordan was one of the first States at the table involved in the process that resulted in the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

And Jordan was also among the first to ratify it. 

I join the Special Rapporteur in commending Jordan for its dedication and leadership in this area. 

And still the Kingdom continues to move forward with passion, leading the way to even greater achievements for persons with disabilities. 

We gather here today to contribute to that goal. 

We gather to engage in a strategic review of where we stand and where we need to go next. 

To analyze evidence and use it to identify gaps and barriers. 

And identify concrete priorities and targeted actions needed to drive sustainable achievements over the long term.

Such priorities and targeted action could include:

• Systematic efforts to combat stigma.
• The establishment of an independent monitoring mechanism to promote and monitor its implementation of the Disabilities Convention, in compliment to the extraordinary work of the Higher Council for Persons with Disabilities.
• Measures that expand accessible and affordable transportation, which in turn, would help increase access to school, medicine, health care and employment.
• Further expanding the instruction of Jordanian sign language and higher education facilities. 
• Measures that make the physical environment, schools, and private buildings accessible to the full range of people with disabilities.

Our collective goal is to strengthen accessibility, participation, and accountability across all sectors.

With the Global Disability Summit – which Jordan will co-host – less than two months away, this exercise is even more timely. 

The work you do here will not only inform national policies but also contribute to global conversations on disability rights.

And through your work here, each of you is part of ensuring Jordan’s leadership is showcased on the global stage as it commits to bold, transformative actions that set a precedent for achieving the rights of persons with disabilities worldwide. 

The United Nations in Jordan stands firmly committed to supporting Jordan and all of you in this endeavor. 

I thank you for your dedication, your expertise, and your unwavering commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind. 

I look forward to the insights and outcomes that will emerge from this vital process.

And I encourage you to be bold in your recommendations and ambitious in your vision. 

Lead the way and give the world a path to follow.

Thank you