Her Excellency Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailah, Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs, Family, and Childhood Affairs, affirmed on Wednesday that Kuwait and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are dedicated to adopting policies that support the integration of persons with disabilities into the labor market.

The remarks came during her speech on behalf of GCC ministries of social affairs at the 3rd Global Disability Summit, hosted by Berlin in a joint effort by the German and Jordanian governments alongside the International Disability Alliance. The two-day summit focuses on advancing disability rights globally.

During a panel titled "Inclusive Employment in the Arab Region: Challenges and Proposed Policies," Dr. Al-Huwailah underscored the GCC’s commitment to implementing Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which calls for supportive legislation to ensure workplace inclusion. She acknowledged persistent "discrimination" as a challenge but highlighted measurable progress.

Praising GCC efforts, she noted that Gulf nations have "adopted anti-discrimination policies," specifically commending the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia for enshrining equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in their laws.

On Kuwait’s initiatives, she highlighted the success of "Partners for Their Employment" (شركاء لتوظيفهم), a public-civil society partnership model that has provided specialized training and employment pathways, calling it "a benchmark for inclusive employment policies."

Dr. Al-Huwailah emphasized that fostering inclusive employment "requires knowledge-sharing and innovative strategies to ensure economic independence and social integration." She expressed hope that the summit would yield actionable recommendations to enhance international cooperation and policy development.

Summit Objectives: A Global Push for Inclusion
The Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stated that the Berlin summit aims to mobilize global efforts for the full societal inclusion of persons with disabilities. It serves as a platform to unify governments, disability organizations, private sectors, and academia to assess progress and address challenges.

With a focus on improving lives—particularly in the Global South—the summit seeks to standardize advocacy for inclusion through pre-summit regional engagements, strong partnerships, and the exchange of innovative practices.

The Council noted that this edition carries the urgent global mandate to prioritize disability inclusion and ensure every individual’s full societal participation.

The inaugural summit was held in London (2018), co-hosted by the UK’s Department for International Development, the Kenyan government, and the International Disability Alliance.