Christian Lawyers Centre also referred to as Legal Link, an advocacy group that defends the rights of religious communities and vulnerable groups in Sierra Leone, has called on the Government of Sierra Leone to RESPECT, FULFILL, PROTECT AND PROMOTE” disability rights in the country.
The advocacy group made the plea during a SPECIAL BREAKFAST AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION it had with People with Disability in Sierra Leone as the world commemorated the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 4th 2020.
It could be recalled that following resolution 47/3 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, the annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed.
The day is mainly set aside by the United Nations to promote the rights and well-being of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness on their plight in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
According to Legal Link it felt motivated on that historic day to hold a SPECIAL BREAKFAST AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION with PWD’s in Sierra Leone as the world commemorated the International Day of Disabled Persons primarily to unearth the existing challenges affecting persons with disabilities as the country battles COVID-19.
According to Legal Link INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY DAY was celebrated with the theme: “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World.”. The advocacy group emphasized that the words chosen for the theme embody a clarion call to showcase that disability inclusion will result in a COVID-19 response and recovery that will better serve everyone, more fully suppressing the virus, as well as “building back better.”
“It will further provide for more agile systems and interventions that are capable of responding to complex situations, reaching the furthest within the Disability community,” he said.
They recommended that an integrated approach is often required to address challenges as well as ensuring that PWD’s are not left behind.
The Advocacy Group still acknowledges that there are a lot of challenges to protect the rights of PWD’s even though efforts have been made to pass Disability legislation and establish a Disability Commission.
Inorder to have a better appreciation and understanding of the predicament situation of PWD’s during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Executive Director of LEGAL LINK, Rashid Dumbuya Esq, during a joint discussion held with the different categories of PWD’s that express their plights with respect to the impact of COVID-19 on their livelihoods.
Listed below are some of the challenges and areas of concern raised by PWD’S at LEGAL LINK’s office.
Limited access to free tertiary education;
Limited access to free health care;*
Disability unfriendly infrastructure and environment;
Discrimination and stigmatization;
The lack of Disability Units within Ministries, Departments and Agencies;
Increased unemployment and social marginalization;
The lack of a comprehensive disability mainstreaming agenda to cater for the special needs of the various categories of persons with disability.
According to Legal Link from the above points raised, it is crystal as clear that human rights abuses and violations have been meted against PWD’s during the Covid 19 pandemic.
The Organization further emphasized that Sierra Leone is a signatory to many international treaties and conventions that guarantee the rights of PWD’s. Chief amongst many others is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the African Disability Protocol to name but a few.
It says that the above frameworks put obligations on the Government of Sierra Leone as the machinery effecting the operation of the affairs of the state to take the necessary steps that will help protect, respect, fulfill and promote the rights of PWD’s in the country.
Against that backdrop, LEGAL LINK called on the government of Sierra Leone to comply with its obligation under International Human Rights Law by ensuring that it respects, protects, fulfill and promote the rights of PWD’S throughout the country; more so within the COVID-19 environment.
7/12/2020. ISSUE NO: 7963