Call For Respect For PwDs’ Human Dignity, Their Protection And Empowerment
By Alfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
PHOTO: Persons with disabilities marching to the UN headquarters in Monrovia
In observance of the occasion marking the official celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) has presented a 14-count petition to the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations office in Liberia.
This year, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was celebrated under the global theme, United in Action to Rescue and Achieve the SDGs for, with, and by Persons with Disabilities with the national theme: Ensuring Adequate Standards of Living and Social Protection for Persons with Disabilities in Liberia.
NUOD, which is said to have a membership of over 12, 000 PwDs, is a civil society umbrella organization of all organizations of persons with disabilities within the length and breadth of Liberia.
Persons with Disabilities holding their banner in front of the UN headquarters in Monrovia
Regarding the petition on Monday, December 4, 2023, at One UN House in Monrovia, NUDO President Peter B. K. Flomo called on the United Nations office in Liberia to make available all necessary logistics and finances needed to promote, protect, and ensure that internationally recognized events proclaimed by the UN body are celebrated to the letter.
Mr. Flomo named such events as International Week of the Deaf, World Mental Health Day, World Down Syndrome Day, World White Cane Safety Day, and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
They want avenues to be created for more awareness and enlightenment of these very important legislations to eliminate stigmatization, marginalization and all forms of discrimination against Persons with disabilities in society.
In their 14-count petition given through NUDO, persons with disabilities in Liberia urged the world body (UN) to put in place the necessary system to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Liberia’s House of Representatives as enacted in section 9 of the Act creating the National Commission on Disabilities of 2005.
“The issue of employment of qualified persons with disabilities should be applied to the letter into Ministries and Agencies of good as well as in all private sectors and within the UN system per section 5 of the act establishing the NCD. We need free health care delivery programs for persons with disabilities in all government-owned health facilities across the country,” he read.
They also called on the Ministry of Education in their petition to provide quarterly subsidies to disabled Schools registered with the Ministry.
“We recommend the construction of a multi-purpose building as National Secretariat for the Union permanent location is of paramount concern, that the Civil Society Organization such as the NUOD be clothed with full authority as the umbrella organization of PWD to actively participate in the UN general Assembly in New York annually, as well as in Geneva and that they are fully supported financially by the UN body,” Mr. Flomo said.
NUOD is however recommending to the government to conduct a forensic audit at the National Commission on Disabilities for the justification of the misdirected claim that about eight hundred Persons with disabilities have been empowered and taken off the streets.
Meanwhile, NUOD National President Peter Flomo has applauded President George Weah for peacefully conceding defeat in the just-ended presidential elections and welcoming onboard President-elect Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai for his victory.
Receiving the petition on behalf of Christine Umutoni, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Liberia, UNDP Resident Representative, Louis Kuokpen assured the petitioners that their fourteen counts will be submitted to the rightful authorities.
“On behalf of the resident Coordinator who could have loved to be here to receive the petition and to interact with you but unfortunately she just returned and trying to settle down,” he said.
According to Kuokpen, the Fourteen Recommendations are important to the work they do as the UN in the area of sustainable development goals and in the context of leaving no one behind nothing that they will look into continues to engage the authorities.
He however, promised that the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Diplomatic Mission to Liberia would have an official meeting with them before or after Christmas to discuss some of the issues affecting persons with disabilities.