EUROMED Regional Agenda on the Socioeconomic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities one step closer to reality following Amman conference
- The 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Conference on the Socioeconomic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities took place today in Amman, with participants discussing the launch of the EUROMED Regional Agenda by the end of this year to address the underlying causes of discrimination against people with disabilities and set the preconditions for more inclusive policy responses.
- Attendees discussed the results of the First Situational Assessment of the Social and Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, identified obstacles and opportunities, and highlighted good practices and priority areas in an outcome document that will be presented before the United Nations in June.
- According to the First Situational Assessment of the Social and Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, people with disabilities are among the most marginalised in the Euro-Mediterranean region, an issue that is often aggravated by factors including unemployment, weak social protection mechanisms, gender inequality and the impacts of climate change. Up to 90% of people with disabilities are unemployed, a phenomenon that disproportionately affects women.
The 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Conference on the Socioeconomic Inclusion of Persons with Disability, co-organised by the Union for the Mediterranean, Spain’s ONCE Social Group, and the Jordanian Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, took place today in Jordan and will last for 2 days, bringing together public officials, institutional partners, and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) with the aim of promoting more inclusive and equitable societies across the region.
The event served as a launch pad for the EUROMED Regional Agenda on the Socioeconomic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, a programme that will address the underlying causes of discrimination and set the preconditions for more inclusive policy responses. It is now one step closer to becoming a reality this year after participants identified priority areas and validated an indicative timeline for its approval.
“It is essential we take action to ensure inequality and discrimination do not become entrenched in the Euro-Mediterranean region as we can only move forward when it comes to safeguarding the rights of people with disabilities,” UfM Deputy Secretary General for Social and Civil Affairs John Paul Grech said.
“I am convinced the EUROMED Regional Agenda, an excellent example of regional cooperation, will promote legislative measures that will help lead to concrete improvements in the lives of people with disabilities.” said Javier Güemes Pedraza, ONCE’s Director of International Relations.
“Hosting this important conference in Jordan reaffirms our country’s robust political will to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and to play key role in mainstream the disability rights and issues in social policies at the regional level. Having this event in Jordan during this difficult time the Middle east region witnesses; represents a very important message that the Disability shall be always on the national agendas including during the emergency and crisis situations” Muhannad Alazzeh, the Secretary General of the Jordanian Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, stated.
Attendees reviewed the results of the First Situational Assessment of the Social and Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region. Conducted in October 2023, it found that people with disabilities continue to face significant hurdles impeding their full participation in society, especially when compounded with factors such as unemployment, weak social protection mechanisms, gender inequality, or the negative impacts of climate change. This is evidenced by the fact that 50% to 90% of people with disabilities in the region are jobless, a phenomenon that disproportionately affects women, who face a higher risk of poverty or social exclusion than men.
Participants also assessed current opportunities, defining joint actions to work towards the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The conference’s outcome document establishing priority areas will be presented before the United Nations this June, while specific policy recommendations will be put forth by the end of the year.
First Situational Assessment of the Social and Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region (October 2023)
About the UfM
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is the only Euro-Mediterranean inter-governmental organisation that brings together the countries of the European Union and 16 countries from the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. The UfM provides Member States with a forum to strengthen regional cooperation, dialogue and to implement projects and initiatives that have a tangible impact on citizens to meet the region's three strategic objectives: stability, human development, and integration.