National Coordination Committee for PWDs launched.

By Faith Chimutsa

THE Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, in partnership with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, officially launched a setup Committee for Persons With Disabilities.

The United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRD) team, which is being led by the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, facilitated the formation of the technical National Coordination Committee for the Implementation of the National Disability Policy, which was launched in the capital on Thursday.

Guest of honour at the launch, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima applauded the launch of the Technical National Coordination Committee which is vital for the Implementation of the National Disability Policy.

“Today’s event marks an important step towards translating the provisions of the policy from paper to tangible and measurable actions that will make a positive difference in the lives of persons with disabilities and their families’,” said Prof Mavima.

The launch of the Technical National Coordination Committee follows the launch of the National Disability Policy by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on 9 June, 2021.

“From the onset, let me assure you that the Government of Zimbabwe is committed to fulfilling, promoting, protecting and respecting the rights of persons with disabilities. Taking cognisance of the fact that disability is a cross-cutting interdisciplinary issue, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, in partnership with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, and the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRD) team, which is being led by the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, facilitated the formation of the technical National Coordination Committee for the Implementation of the National Disability Policy, which we are launching today,” added Mavima.

The National Disability Policy (2021) seeks to address the preconditions that are essential for the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which Zimbabwe ratified in September 2013.

The purpose of the Technical National Coordination Committee, is to provide overall guidance to the implementation of the National Disability Policy representing the first proposed step of the Roadmap for implementation of the Policy.

The National Disability Policy apportions responsibility and accountability to each of the 21 government ministries under each key activity. Collaboration is therefore important because disability inclusion across all sectors cannot be achieved if government ministries and departments work in silos.

Speaking at the same occasion UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr Edward Kallon said the launch of national disability coordination committee today marks a milestone that will facilitate the operationalization of the National Disability Policy and move forward the agenda of inclusion and rights of persons with disability.

“I am pleased to note that the Zimbabwe UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2022-2026) has prioritized disability inclusion and rights across the four pillars: People, Prosperity, Planet, and Peace. The UN Cooperation Framework provides for specific disability rights interventions necessary for advancing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) and the National Disability Policy,” added Kallon.

Meanwhile everyone encouraged to work towards ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all sectors, and to end all forms of discrimination, marginalization and exclusion of persons with all kinds of disabilities.

Such negative practices are detrimental to the well-being of persons with disabilities as well as that of their families and the nation at large.