During the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali, Secretary-General of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee, highlighted the growing priority of persons with disabilities in Qatar.

He pointed out the significant advancements made during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities, particularly in transportation, hotels, stadiums, and surrounding facilities, which he described as some of the best global practices in disability rights.

Al-Jamali shared that the committee's role focuses on monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

He noted substantial progress in inclusive policies related to education, employment, health services, rehabilitation, and infrastructure in Qatar.

He further stressed the necessity of establishing a comprehensive national database for persons with disabilities, underlining its vital importance for national, regional, and international efforts.

AlJamali also called for the creation of this database based on the Washington Standards, a framework set by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, in collaboration with ESCWA.

Despite the importance of such a database, Al-Jamali acknowledged the challenges of ensuring complete coverage and safeguarding data privacy.

He urged countries interested in developing their own databases to learn from those that have already made strides in this field.

Al-Jamali confirmed that Qatar is actively working on the development of its national database for persons with disabilities.