Egypt’s National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) and UNICEF signed on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to strengthen support for children with disabilities and their families.
The agreement was signed by Acting Head of the NCPWD, Eman Karim, and UNICEF Deputy Representative in Egypt, Natalie Meyer. It falls under the cooperation programme between the Egyptian government and UNICEF.
The partnership aims to improve access to education, social protection, justice and other essential services. It is also intended to promote the full inclusion of children with disabilities and protect their rights under Egyptian law.
Karim said the MoU would strengthen the council’s institutional capacity, improve service delivery and raise public awareness of disability rights.
She added that it would also enhance complaint mechanisms and improve coordination with service providers.
UNICEF Representative Natalia Winder Rossi said every child with a disability has the right to protection, quality care, equal access to education and full participation in society.
She reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting Egypt’s efforts to build a more inclusive child protection system.
The agreement also covers training programmes for service providers, the preparation of a national directory of services for children with disabilities, and the development of operational guidelines for the justice and social care sectors.
In addition, the two sides will launch public awareness campaigns, strengthen referral systems, develop guidance to protect children with disabilities from violence, support research on barriers to inclusive education, and build the capacity of civil society organizations working in the disability sector.
