(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BEIRUT, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti expert Rehab Bouresli on Tuesday called for tackling shared challenges facing Arab countries in turning the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into real job opportunities.
Bouresli, speaking at a high-level panel hosted by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut, highlighted key barriers such as weak alignment between laws and employment policies, lack of institutional will, low societal awareness, and inaccessible work environments.
She also noted the absence of reliable data, the gap in vocational training, and the lack of coordination with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Bouresli, who chairs the Kuwait Society for Families of the Disabled, stressed the need to shift from welfare to economic empowerment and to replace aid-based models with inclusive employment programs.
She warned that existing hiring quotas often remain symbolic due to poor enforcement and called for independent oversight and public-private-civil society partnerships.
She urged creating national employment data platforms and providing private sector incentives, while integrating disability into national development plans.
The regional ESCWA conference also saw the launch of the "Arab Charter on Inclusive Employment and Entrepreneurship for Persons with Disabilities," in cooperation with the ILO and the Arab League. (pickup previous)
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