Statement by First Lady Arya Ali at UN COSP on CRPD

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities remains the gold  standard for promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in all aspects  of life. 

In keeping with its obligations under the Convention, Guyana has taken  decisive steps to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities. The  Prevention of Discrimination Act and the Persons with Disabilities Act provide the legal foundation to prohibit discrimination in employment,  mandate rehabilitation, ensure access to free education and healthcare, and  promote participation in cultural and recreational life. 

The National Commission on Disability is the principal agency for the  protection and promotion of these rights. 

Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy reinforces this commitment,  and our government backs this with practical support. This includes free  healthcare and assistive devices, employment and housing opportunities,  inclusion in the school system, life-long public assistance for everyone with 

permanent disabilities. A Disability Support Unit was created to ensure  inclusion and no discrimination. 

Under our One Guyana initiative, youth with disabilities are provided with  the tools and resources to pursue economic opportunities. We recently  launched the Center for Equity, Opportunity and Innovation – that currently  employs scores of persons with disabilities and provides technical, vocational  and business development training. 

The combined efforts of the Mahaica Learning Lab, Board of Industrial  Training, Business Center and the Open Doors Vocational Centre offers free  skills training for persons with disabilities.  

Guyana is home to the Regional Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre which offers early diagnoses for children with disabilities. In the last few years, hundreds of persons with disabilities have received  house lots from the Government, while the President’s Men on a Mission 

programme has built homes and provided construction materials for persons  with disabilities.  

Chair, a society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. Guyana is proud of our efforts, as we believe that the most effective way to give true  meaning to the Convention is through education, empowerment, and  engagement. These are the pillars upon which we will continue to build a  future where the rights of all persons with disabilities are realized. 

I thank you.