UN Human Rights Officer Frowns on the Lack of Information Data on Persons with Disabilities

Monrovia – Laura Bernal, a human rights officer at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) says despite Liberia ratifying the UN Convention to protect the rights of people living with disability, the lack of information data is a serious challenge in implementing said Convention.

Report by J. H. Webster Clayeh, [email protected]

Bernal made the statement recently during the validation of Liberia’s first report under the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

At the event, members of the civil society, disabled community, government officials along with both local and international human rights organizations were in full attendance to give their inputs on the document.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol was adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and was opened for signature on 30 March 2007.

Liberia on July 2012 ratifies the UN convention to protect persons living with disabilities.

Since then, OHCHR Human Rights Officer said there have not been much information data from the Liberian government pertaining to persons with disabilities.

Bernal said it is an opportunity for the Liberia Government to showcase to the international community what they have done as regard to the implementation of the convention.

The report, according to the UN Human Rights Officer, will help the UN Human Rights Office to know the impact of the laws and policies the Liberian Government has put into place.

“One of the major challenges that we are facing at this moment is the complete lack of data on persons living with disabilities,” Bernal said.

She added, “Data is important because it helps us to really understand the need and rights of people living with disabilities and the real impact that the laws and policies that are put in place have had.”

“Without these data, it is really difficult to show what is being improved and what needs to continue to be improved. So today, we really make a call to you to show us what the real impact of those laws and policies have been,” Bernal said.

The OHCHR human rights officer continued: “OHCHR has been supporting this process a little from the side but from now on we are going to be actively involved with you drafting these final parts of the report.”

Also speaking, the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC), Att’y Bartholomew Colley, said after the validation of the report; the international community will know the gains Liberia has made since the signing of the Convention.

According to the Acting INCHR Chairman, networking, awareness rising and mobilizing supports are cardinal tools to enable persons with disabilities to claim their rights.

Att’y Colley said persons with disabilities do not need assistance from government rather they should be given some skills to be empowered in the society.

“So, what we are asking government to do is that help them to acquire skills, so they themselves can raise their lives,” Rev. Colley said.