The Pan-African Parliament’s (PAP) Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability has set up a “vital subcommittee” that is tasked with advancing advocacy strategy for the promotion of ratification of the Protocol and Domestication of the African Model Law on Disability at the currently underway August Sittings of the Permanent Committees of the sixth Parliament of the PAP in Midrand, South Africa.
The meeting which was jointly held with the African Disability Organisations was guided by the African Union theme of 2022; ‘Building resilience in nutrition on the African continent: Accelerate the human capital, social and economic development’.
According to General Provisions, Article 1, the purpose of the African Model Law on Disability is to provide legal and institutional framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, in line with the existing international and regional legal and policy instruments.
The subcommittee constitutes representatives from across five regions of Africa with Hon. Kgosi Mosadi Seboko from Botswana representing the Southern Africa region, Hon. Eric Ngalula ILUNGA (DRC) representing Central Africa region, Hon. Maimuna Ceesay (Gambia) representing West Africa region, Hon. Marie Sandra Monia Mayotte (Mauritius) representing East Africa region, Hon. Dr Randa Mohamed Ahmed Mostafa (Egypt) represents the Northern African region while Hon. Caroline (Uganda) completes the list.
“The existence of this subcommittee is crucial, we are glad that we are in agreement with our African Disability Organisations and African Union (AU) Rep on prioritisation of ratification of the Protocol and Domestication of the PAP Model Law on Disability,” said Hon. Dao Gabala Mariam, from Cote d'Ivoire, the Chairperson of the Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability.
“We do not need to waste time; this subcommittee we have established must reach out to all PAP committees, entire PAP members, all Foreign Affairs Ministers and Heads of State in regard to the ratification of this Model law. It is my wish that by the end of the year we have positive feedback on this important matter. This shouldn’t be about gender committee only, let it be an African matter. We also need individuals to be active across Africa without fail when it comes to this model law.”
The meeting saw presentations done by the AU Department of Social Affairs, Africa Disability Alliance (ADA), Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA), Foundation of Persons with Albinism in Senegal and Africa (FASA Foundation) and the Disability Unit of the University of Pretoria Centre for Human Rights.
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