Emirati woman runs for membership of UN Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

NEW YORK- Mariam Saif Al Qubaisi, Head of the Special Needs Sector at Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO), has been nominated for membership of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD, in the United Nations, which the U.A.E. joined in 2010. 

The U.A.E.’s mission to the United Nations in New York coordinated and held bilateral meetings at UN headquarters, with Al Qubaisi and representatives of States Parties to the Convention, in order to garner support for her in the elections of the seventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention which will take place in New York from 10th-12th June 2014. The election of nine members of the Committee is scheduled to take place on 10th June 2014 during this meeting.

Al Qubaisi will compete with 22 candidates, as the term of nine existing members will expire on 31st December 2014. Thus, nine seats in the Committee must now be filled through an election.

Members will elected for a term of four years by the Conference of States Parties from 2015 to 2018. Committee Members serve in their personal capacity and may be re-elected once if nominated. 

During the campaign, which was launched this week in New York, Al Qubaisi was keen to shed light on the legislation and the policies that the U.A.E. has pursued to improve the quality of services provided to people with special needs and disabilities in all sectors.

Al Qubaisi reviewed her expertise and contributions to achieving the vision of the U.A.E. and in its quest to be one of the best five governments in the world in terms of competent operational plans to meet the special needs of the disabled.-WAM