OIC Stresses Importance of Amplifying Leadership of Persons with Disabilities

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which the international community celebrates on December 3 of each year, proclaimed by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, stressed the importance of integrating persons with disabilities into all areas of social, cultural and economic life and enhancing their leadership for a better and sustainable future and to ensure the well-being of societies.

The OIC Secretary-General pointed out that the resolutions adopted by the 15th Islamic Summit held in May 2024 in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia, as well as the resolutions adopted by the 50th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in August 2024 in Yaoundé, Republic of Cameroon, and the resolutions adopted by the Second Session of the Ministerial Conference on Social Development held in June 2023 in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, in addition to the OIC Strategy on Persons with Disabilities adopted by the Second Session of the Ministerial Conference on Social Development in Cairo in 2023, had among its most important objectives the improvement of the quality of services and activities provided to persons with disabilities, in addition to inviting Member States to exchange experiences and best practices in the field of integration and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

It is worth noting that the theme chosen by the United Nations to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2024 is: “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future”.

In this regard, Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha called on Member States and the international community to join efforts to integrate persons with disabilities and involve them in social life and enhance their capabilities to face various challenges, with the aim of building societies in which equal opportunities prevail among all generations. The Secretary-General also urged the relevant bodies and institutions of the OIC and partner institutions to support the efforts of Member States in this area.