The State of Qatar chaired the coordination meeting of Arab ministers of social affairs, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 16th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The meeting aims to review all issues on the agenda of this session and to enhance coordination between Arab countries. The meeting was chaired by Her Excellency Mrs. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misned, Minister of Social Development and Family, Chair of the 42nd session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs, .

Her Excellency the Minister also affirmed that the State of Qatar has not and will not spare any effort to support and integrate persons with disabilities into Arab societies, whether in Qatar or the Arab world. Her Excellency stressed the importance of implementing the Second Arab Decade for Persons with Disabilities during 2023-2032, as it is an essential pillar of support for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. By striving to implement the classification of disability in the Arab countries, Qatar will promote it in various regional and international forums.

HE Minister of Social Development and the Family, highlighted the planned hosting by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Qatar, respectively, of the third and fourth World Disability Summits in 2025 and 2028 and the embodiment of this importance of joint Arab solidarity, to empower people with disabilities in the Arab world.

The sixteenth session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is scheduled to discuss several topics, including enhancing the employability of persons with disabilities, reproductive health services, and accessibility, in addition to the possibility of digital access for this important group.