Cultural Salon on “Towards the creation of a National Movement for the Rights of the disabled in Iraq”

Baghdad, 13 July 2012


 
On 13 July 2012, a public meeting under the slogan "Our Voice will be Heard until we Achieve our Goals" was held in Baghdad, at the “Safia Al Souhail Cultural Salon”, in cooperation with the Voice of Independent Women Organization and the Preparatory Commission for Disability-Rights Movement in Iraq. The purpose of the meeting was to celebrate the announcement of the emergence of Disability-Rights Movement in Iraq, which includes more than 14 civic organizations working in the field of disability rights.
 
The meeting was attended by approximately 100 persons, including persons with special needs and disabilities, civil society organizations and associations working on disability issues, political leaders, Members of the Iraqi Parliament, representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, as well as cultural salons and media representatives.
 
The purpose of the event was also to present and discuss the priorities of this newly formed national movement aiming at representing and including all categories of disabilities and at fostering their empowerment and integration in the political, economic, social, cultural, sporting and civic fields without discrimination. The mission of this movement will also be to monitor and follow up on the national implementation of all relevant international decisions, laws and conventions for the disabled, and to advocate for the moral, political and financial support by public authorities. A number of members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives have already announced their support of the movement because it represents a step in the process of removing obstacles hindering this important segment of society.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
During the meeting, the Preparatory Commission for Disability-Rights Movement in Iraq, represented by its President Mrs. Lami’a Talabani, stressed the urgent need to focus onthe following priorities:
 
1. Iraqi government and non-governmental institutions have to promote and implement all necessary measures to enhance social, economic and political integration of disabled and socially disadvantaged citizens
 
2. Iraqi government and non-governmental institutions have to act in support of measures and initiatives supporting disabled and socially disadvantaged citizens to have a much greater role in making decisions on key issues related to their own needs and priorities.
 
3. Iraqi government and non-governmental institutions have to promote and implement all necessary measures to develop an accurate demographic statistics database on the population in Iraq. The available estimations indicate the existence of 3 million disabled persons, victims of tragic past decades marked by wars (use of chemical and biological weapons, depleted uranium and WP, landmines) and the use of torture and repression in addition to the tragic circumstances faced by the country after 2003.
 
4. Iraqi government and non-governmental institutions have to promote the elaboration of comprehensive scientific surveys and standards for the rehabilitation and social-economic empowerment of persons with special needs and disabilities
 
5. Iraqi national authorities have to create a National Fund to support persons with special needs and disabilities through a basic income allocation to be funded through a specific percentage from petrol taxes, tourism, donations and by allocating a percentage of 10% of houses under construction by the State.
 
6. Iraqi national authorities have to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention related to the rights of persons with disabilities, which was adopted on 13 December 2006 during the sixty-first session of the General Assembly by resolution A/RES/61/106 and entered into force in 2008.