4 days ago
Shura Council submits proposal to improve conditions of persons with disabilities
The Shura Council held its regular weekly session today at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall at the Council's headquarters, chaired by His Excellency Mr. Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Speaker of the Council.
At the beginning of the session, the Shura Council commended the participation of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the country, "may God protect him," in the second summit that brought together the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was held last Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
The Council affirmed that this participation reflects the State of Qatar's commitment to enhancing strategic openness to Asian countries and activating channels of communication and cooperation with them, which contributes to achieving mutual interests and supports initiatives seeking to consolidate sustainable development and regional stability.
His Excellency Mr. Nayef bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud, Secretary-General of the Council, then read the agenda of the session, and the Council approved the minutes of its previous session.
During the session, the Council reviewed the report of the Social Affairs, Labor, and Housing Committee on the request for a general discussion submitted by a number of Their Excellencies, the members, regarding the conditions of persons with disabilities.
During the discussion of the report, His Excellency Mr. Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Chairman of the Council, emphasized that the achievements made in the field of supporting and empowering persons with disabilities are the fruit of the continuous efforts of the esteemed government, in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, "may God protect him," and within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030 and its development strategies.
His Excellency noted the importance of strengthening these efforts by providing a comprehensive and supportive environment that enables this group to play its role as an active partner in the advancement of society, while emphasizing the need to overcome the existing challenges that continue to hinder them.
During his review of the report, His Excellency Mr. Abdulrahman bin Yousef Al-Khulaifi, Chairman of the Social Affairs, Labor and Housing Committee, referred to the meetings and gatherings held by the committee, its review of the opinions of specialists and stakeholders, and the visions reached aimed at developing policies related to persons with disabilities and improving the quality of services provided to them.
After extensive discussions on the report, the Council decided to submit a proposal to the esteemed government, which included a number of visions aimed at improving the conditions of persons with disabilities, most notably: establishing a unified database, reducing working hours, granting special leave to parents in entities not subject to the Human Resources Law, creating positions for sign language interpreters and qualified specialists in service sectors, developing university curricula for persons with disabilities, establishing specialized institutes, including them in a health insurance system, increasing social security pensions, developing rehabilitation centers, and establishing a specialized social club that contributes to their integration into society.
During the session, the Council approved a draft law on persons with disabilities in its amended form and referred it to the esteemed government, after reviewing the report of the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee and discussing its details by the honorable members.
The Council also approved a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. (7) of 2021 regarding the Shura Council and referred it to the esteemed government, after reviewing and discussing the committee's report thereon.
The Council also reviewed a proposal to amend some provisions of the Shura Council's internal regulations, issued by Law No. (8) of 2024, and decided to refer it to the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee for study and submission of its report.
The Council then reviewed the report on participation in the discussion session organized by the Coalition of Women Parliamentarians from Arab Countries to Combat Violence against Women, entitled "The Arab Declaration to Combat All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls," which was held via videoconference last March. The Council also reviewed the report on its delegation's participation in the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development 2025, which was held in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, last April.
The session was attended by a number of officials from ministries and care and rehabilitation centers for persons with disabilities, along with a number of interested parties and activists in this field.
