The Academy participated in the Intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting on the OIC Plan of Action on People with Disabilities, held in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 01 Dhul Qui’dah 1444, corresponding to June 21-22, 2023. The Academy was represented by Ms Sara Amjad Bedwi, Director of Family, Women, Children, Elderly and Disabled, and Dr Alhagi Manta Drammeh, Head of International Cooperation and External Relations Division.

Statements were made by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania as Chairman of the forty-ninth session of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the representative of Turkey as Chairman of the Ministerial Conference on Social Development respectively on the importance of the Action Plan to develop an action plan that will integrate people with disabilities in OIC member countries at socio-cultural, educational and political levels. This was followed by a welcoming remark from the Secretariat General to get enriching feedback from delegates and representatives before finalizing the document or submitting it to the Ministerial meeting.

The draft action plan was prepared by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC). The Action Plan includes an overview of the OIC Action Plan, highlighting the timeliness of this document to address the issues of inequality and challenges faced by people with disabilities, and to develop a comprehensive action plan to address these challenges in socio-economic life and increase their participation in the development of their societies and communities. It is hoped that the action plan will serve as a roadmap for policy-makers to coordinate efforts and share knowledge and experience between member states on improving the situation of people with disabilities in relation to international initiatives and the Sustainable Development Goals. The action plan also includes the general principles of diversity, life-course approach, inclusion, human dignity and multi-sectoral approach.

The action plan stresses the many challenges faced by people with disabilities in OIC countries, including weak institutions and insufficient financial resources. The plan focuses on social, economic, health and cultural challenges. Accordingly, the Action Plan outlines a number of areas for action, including education, health, economic integration, governance and the creation of an enabling environment, as well as the articulation of Islamic values that emphasize respect for diversity and inclusion.

Following SESRIC’s presentation of the Action Plan, representatives of member countries and OIC institutions made interventions and comments on various aspects of the project. The representatives of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy thanked the OIC General Secretariat for the kind invitation, reiterating the paramount importance of this Action Plan and expressing the Academy’s willingness to work in collaboration with the OIC and its other institutions to implement the aforementioned Action Plan in its Strategic Plan when approved accordingly. The Academy delegation drew the attention of the honourable representatives to Resolution No. 213 (9/22) issued by the Academy at its 22^nd session held in Kuwait from 2 to 5 Jumada al-Akhirah 1436, corresponding to March 22-25, 2015 concerning the rights of people with disabilities in Islamic jurisprudence. A copy of the document in question has been submitted to the Secretariat General for review.