Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Al Hachani, head of the delegation of the State of Qatar, received Her Excellency Sheikha Sheikha bint Jassim Al Thani, Assistant Undersecretary for Family Affairs, at the Government Palace in the Kasbah to participate in the Second Arab Decade Forum for Persons with Disabilities 2023-2032 during the period from 1 to 5 of this October.

The work of the forum, in which Arab ministers of social affairs will participate, in addition to Arab and international delegations, will witness the exchange of Arab experiences and expertise to set the mechanisms to implement the 17 axes of this decade. It emerged from the decision of the Arab Summit at its 32nd session, which was held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last May.

It also includes organizing a program of exchange visits to learn about social experiences in Tunisia at the ministerial level and senior officials. The forum covers an extraordinary session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs to consider the social topics on the agenda of the fifth session of the Arab Development Summit: Economic and Social held in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

During her speech, Her Excellency stressed that the State of Qatar is keen to provide the best services and privileges to people with disabilities through several references, basing this determination on the permanent constitution of the state, its National Vision 2030, and the first and second national development strategies.

Her Excellency referred to the FIFA Arab Cup 2022 as the most inclusive edition for people with disabilities in the history of the World Cup. The young Qatari, Ghanem Al-Muftah, was given an essential role in the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and he holds the position of Goodwill Ambassador for the State of Qatar. His last participation was in the conference on the rights of persons with disabilities at the United Nations 2023.

At the end of her speech, Her Excellency invited everyone to participate in the Multidimensional Arab Social Development Forum, which will be organized by the State of Qatar during the period from 22 to 26 October, as it will be an incubator for the Second Arab Exhibition for Productive Families, led by the second session of the Independent Living Initiative for people with disabilities, and a number of honorary competitions.

The Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States, Ms. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, confirmed that the outcomes and recommendations of this forum will be presented at the Arab Development Summit to be held in Mauritania after presenting them to the Council of Ministers of Social Affairs in order to work on implementing them in a participatory manner.

Tunisian Minister of Social Affairs Malek Al-Zahi pledged to work in full coordination with Arab ministers to move forward in implementing the Second Arab Decade for Persons with Disabilities and to harmonize legislation to help implement its provisions.

This decade is considered the culmination of Arab efforts to support policies and mechanisms for the advancement of persons with disabilities and their integration into society. The participants considered that this forum represents an important opportunity to exchange experiences and successful experiences related to awareness and care programs for this category.