Seychelles highlights progress made in promoting rights of persons with disabilities |03 March 2018
Seychelles has had the chance to showcase the progress it has made in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities.
This was during the country’s participation at the nineteenth session of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which took place in Geneva, Switzerland from February 26th to 28th 2018.
Seychelles’ delegation was headed by Family Affairs Minister Jeanne Simeon.
Talks held by the Seychelles delegation focused on the application of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Seychelles.
Seychelles ratified this Convention in 2009 making a commitment to creating an environment where persons with disabilities can enjoy their full rights in a most dignified manner. As part of its obligations, Seychelles submitted its initial report in 2014.
This first report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities sheds light on the situation of persons with disabilities and disability issues in the country with due regard to the local context, the existing legal framework, the financial and human resources constraints that the country faces as a small island developing state.
At the session the delegation was provided with the opportunity to outline some of the progress made in the promotion of rights of persons with disabilities since the submission of the report and answer questions of the 18 experts on the Committee.
In her opening statement at the meeting, Minister Simeon explained how the Convention helped to herald many firsts for Seychelles, setting the standards against which human rights could be made real for persons with disabilities.
“For the first time in 2010 persons with disabilities were counted in the National Census. In 2013 work began to develop a National Policy on Disability. The Ministry of Education engaged in the development of a National Policy on Inclusive Education which was launched in 2015,” Minister Simeon said.
Minister Simeon also acknowledged some of the challenges in reaching full compliance with the Convention.
She explained that one of the greatest barriers was that based on mind-sets; firstly, mind-sets of those who are considered normal and continue to view persons with disabilities as needing protection and secondly mind-sets of persons with disabilities themselves who remain in the margins, overpowered by ideas that they cannot and therefore do not.
Despite the challenges highlighted, Minister Simeon conveyed the commitment of Seychelles towards the elimination of the barriers which are impeding the advancement of persons with disabilities through the right action and the right amount of commitment at all levels.
The Committee in turn commended Seychelles on its continuous drive to sustain free primary health care including the provision of personal mobility aids, its investment in free education with emphasis on an inclusive approach and all the progress made for the betterment of persons with disabilities.
Particular appreciation was conveyed in regards to the structure adopted for Seychelles’ initial state party report which the committee commended on adopting a frank approach including an expression of the country’s challenges.
However, the Committee highlighted various areas where Seychelles needs to make further progress especially the strengthening of national policies and the revision of legal frameworks to align them to the principles of the convention, and to continue to foster non discrimination at all levels in a coordinated and holistic manner, placing emphasis on the full participation of persons with disabilities.
The Committee is expected to make recommendations to the country in the form of concluding observations which will guide Seychelles in the work ahead.