Geneva: The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva participated in co-organizing a side event titled "From Narrative to Evidence: Advancing Indicator-Based Disability Reporting." The collaboration involved the Permanent Mission of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf to the UN Office in Geneva and the Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs in GCC States.

According to Qatar News Agency, the event commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the Palace of Nations in Geneva. It was attended by representatives from diplomatic missions, international and regional organizations, and entities focused on the rights of persons with disabilities, along with experts in data, statistics, and human rights indicators.

In her opening remarks, HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva Dr. Hend Abdulrahman Al Muftah highlighted Qatar's commitment to international human rights conventions, noting that Qatar has joined seven of the nine core international conventions and is dedicated to fulfilling its reporting obligations and commitments.

Dr. Al Muftah also emphasized Qatar's early accession to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its focus on regional and international cooperation, including sponsoring UN resolutions such as World Autism Awareness Day and the International Day of Deafblindness.

Qatar is set to host the Fourth Global Disability Summit in Doha in 2028, in partnership with the International Disability Alliance. Dr. Al Muftah noted Qatar's transparent and objective approach in discussing its latest report with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, facilitating experience exchange and progress assessment.

The event featured opening remarks by Mohammed bin Hassan Al Obaidli, Director General of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs in GCC States, and included speakers such as Rehab Boursli from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ali Buharoon, Stefan Tromel, Mona Abdelgawad, Mirriam Nthenge, Reem Khalifa Al Ajmi, Aisha Abdullah Al Darbi, and Dr. Khalifa Al Hilaa.

Moderated by Mohamed Al Ghaith, the discussion focused on enhancing reporting and monitoring effectiveness in disability rights, transitioning from narrative descriptions to precise progress measurements, and leveraging data and human rights indicators for better accountability and decision-making, ultimately leading to more effective policies for persons with disabilities.