Kuwaiti officials and disability rights advocates highlighted the country’s efforts to promote inclusion and employment for persons with disabilities during the fifth UNESCO Global Forum Against Racism and Discrimination, held in The Hague, Netherlands, on October 29–30.
Alia Al-Khaled, vice chairperson of Kuwait’s Human Capacity Building Society for Social Development (HCBSSD), participated in a panel titled “Nothing About Us Without Us: Advancing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” She was the only Arab and Gulf speaker on the panel, which included Myung Kim, chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Kuwait’s delegation, led by Ambassador Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah, attended the event, which drew government officials, international organization representatives, civil society actors, and experts worldwide. The forum’s theme was “From Commitment to Accountability: Change the System, Change the Future.”
Al-Khaled emphasized the importance of transforming international disability rights conventions and related legislation into practical policies that support social inclusion, job opportunities, and full participation in society on an equal basis. She detailed Kuwait’s legal framework, pointing to Law No. 8 of 2010 and the country’s accession to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2013 as key milestones in advancing disability rights.
During the forum, the HCBSSD showcased its “Partners in Employment” initiative, launched in 2018 to train individuals with intellectual disabilities and help them secure and retain employment. The initiative has supported 481 participants so far, with 231 achieving employment, and boasts a retention rate of 97.8 percent. The program is grounded in the "Constructive Recognition Theory" and the "Dignity, Recognition and Empowerment" measurement framework, both developed by engineer Awatif Al-Salman. These frameworks underscore institutional responsibility to eliminate barriers and foster environments conducive to the development of persons with disabilities’ skills and potential.
Al-Khaled advocated for the inclusion of a recognition indicator within internationally established human rights measurement frameworks. She argued that such a tool would better capture the actual participation of persons with disabilities from their own perspectives, thereby strengthening accountability in fulfilling global commitments.
On the sidelines of the forum, Al-Khaled discussed potential collaboration with UNESCO officials, including Executive Board President Nasser Al-Henzab and Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences Denise Carvalho. These talks focused on advancing joint projects aimed at empowering persons with disabilities and sharing Kuwait’s experiences in vocational rehabilitation and employment integration at the international level. She also engaged with Myung Kim to explore applying the association’s frameworks and practices to broader disability rights initiatives.
The forum, marked by high-level attendance including King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, served as a platform to share experiences and foster partnerships aimed at combating racism, discrimination, and advancing human rights globally.