Amman, Feb 15 (Petra) - First Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament Khamis Atiyeh said that speaking about the rights of persons with disabilities is not an intellectual luxury or a limited sectoral file, but rather a true measure of the progress of states and a moral test of the solidity of their political and legislative systems.
Patronizing a dialogue session entitled "The Role of Parliament in Promoting the Citizenship of Persons with Disabilities" in the presence of several fellow MPs on Sunday, Atiyeh said that citizenship is indivisible and rights are not granted by way of privilege but are safeguarded as a fixed constitutional principle.
He added that empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring their full participation in public life is a national duty, and the dignity of the Jordanian citizen is the foundation upon which state policies are based. This royal vision has formed a clear compass for the work of all our institutions, whether the legislative authority or the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which plays a pioneering role in serving persons with disabilities, empowering them, integrating them into the labor market, and providing an appropriate environment for them.
Atiyeh pointed out that just legislation is the true gateway to inclusion, and effective oversight is the guarantee for implementing laws in their spirit, not only in their texts. From this standpoint, we are moving forward in reviewing and developing legal frameworks in a manner that enhances accessibility, ensures equal opportunities, and supports the political, social and economic participation of persons with disabilities.
He added that the outcomes of the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System placed effective participation at the heart of the modernization project, which means broadening the base of engagement in partisan, electoral and representative life in a way that reflects and preserves societal diversity, noting that the strength of the state is measured by its ability to embrace all its citizens and to remove the physical, legislative and cultural barriers that hinder full participation.
He stressed that persons with disabilities are not recipients of care but partners in building and possess capabilities and expertise that enrich public work, noting that the Lower House has approved important legislation, foremost among them the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which aims to regulate their affairs and provide comprehensive protection for their rights.
Atiyeh also referred to the sincere efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Raad bin Zeid, who has spent his life defending the rights of persons with disabilities and resolving their issues, as well as the efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Mired bin Raad, President of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, who leads the council with competence and capability. Thanks were also extended to the General Secretariat of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and all its staff for their remarkable and sincere efforts.
//Petra// AF
