Op-ed by the Resident Coordinator on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disability

On 3 December, I attended an event organized by the State Welfare Organization at the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disability.I was inspired by how persons with disability were given center stage, touched by the address of young man with speech impairment, who articulated the multifold needs of persons with disability in Iran, and was further impressed by the statement of President Pezeshkian on the steadfast commitment of the government to serve persons with disabilities.The event underlined the duties of each and everyone of us to make our society open, inclusive and supportive enough where every person with disability can achieve their full potential.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century.

Its purpose is – “… to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.”

The Convention marks a paradigm shift. It recognizes that all persons with disabilities have equal rights and freedoms as all other people.It recognizes that disability is not just biological. It often results from the interaction between a person with impairment, and the barriers they encounter in terms of other people’s attitudes or their environment.It is the duty of each of us to address this social disadvantage and promote the participation of and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in civil, political, economic, social and cultural spheres.

Hence, the theme of this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future” call for the meaningful participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in every sphere of life, which in turn will create a more just and equitable world for all of us.

In Iran, the UN family – consisting of 19 Agencies, Funds and Programmes – works together with national partners to uphold the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities.When UNICEF delivers assistance to education programs for children with disabilities, or when IOM provides prosthetic limbs for persons with physical impairment, when WHO provides wheelchairs, or when UNHCR addresses the needs of the persons with disabilities among refugees – it is our common vision to work with Iran to create a world of equal opportunity for all and to “leave no one behind”.With small and catalytic efforts, we believe that the barriers that restrain persons with disabilities from achieving their potential can be overcome.

In the words of UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres, “let’s work with persons with disabilities to achieve an inclusive and sustainable future for all people”.