Report

Brief report on Guinea Visit

The visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Disability came as a result of the invitation issued by Mr. Alpha Boubacar Diop, President of the West African Federation for Persons with Disabilities and Member of the Panel of Experts which advises and supports the Special Rapporteur in her work. The visit was originally meant to be part of the 4-country African visit and regional consultation in which the Special Rapporteur meets with government officials at the highest levels and with representatives of NGOs and DPOs in each country. The regional consultations are meant to not only deepen the knowledge and provide first-hand information of the situation of persons with disabilities in the countries, but also to facilitate the exchange of information and the transfer of know-how and experience from one country to another as appropriate. The Special Rapporteur visited Tunisia as well as part of this tour (separate report) but was not able to visit the other African countries on the list for that particular time (Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania) as due to logistical and procedural delays. The four-day visit to Guinea (June 20-24, 2005) was extremely successful in meeting its objectives and satisfied the requirements of the government officials, the DPOs and DPO representatives and the Special Rapporteur. Following is a brief account the four days and the results of the visit.

  • meetings with 5 ministers & issues brought up with each

Social Development:

  • statistics
  • policies
  • law to protect the rights of persons with disabilities
  • condition of women and children with disabilities
  • education and employment
  • a policy of non-discrimination based on gender, religion and disability
  • major problem with refugees with disabilities from neighbouring countries

Minister

  • need for survey on numbers, types, needs
  • law is in place and will be discussed at the end of the year in parliament
  • cabinet and PM are all interested and concerned
  • 138,000 persons with disabilities-not true according to world average and to the organizations of persons with disabilities
  • Effect of wars, amputations of Sierra Leon refugees
  • Peace keeping missions of Guinean soldiers in neighbouring countries
  • Awareness raising about disability due to road accidents
  • Training of teachers for integration of students with disabilities into education
  • Inspectors were trained to visit students in deaf education schools
  • Blind children and children with disabilities were integrated

Health

  • very aware of the needs
  • personal interest and a doctor neurologist
  • there are some structures in place in dealing with prevention
  • some other totally neglected
  • need for Survey to determine epidemiological reasons
  • need for horizontal interventions
  • no resources
  • sought the helps of UN agencies
  • asked the special Rapporteur for advice on comprehensive health strategy

Response

  • standard rules constitute guideline for constructing policy
  • equalization of opportunities the over
  • arching philosophy towards that policy
  • there should be a collective actions at all levels to define the needs and to set priorities and determine interventions with a focus on the available resource and the mobilization of the community resources. Issues of disability should not be dependent on the availability of extra resources, outside help and foreign aid.

Justice

  • Ratifying the treatise on human rights-which Guinea has done.
  • Expressed the commitment of the gov't to the rights of persons with disabilities
  • Law that will be discussed in parliament at the end of the year-which he will push through the parliament
  • Their laws are not discriminatory

Sec Gen Education

  • education as a fundamental right
  • accessibility and integration in schools
  • education of girls and boys
  • education for diverse ethnic and religious groups
  • accessibility of information based on their needs and their disabilities
  • habilitating and rehabilitating buildings

UNDP Res Rep

  • brief meeting resulted in rescheduling the meeting for the next day with all reps of international organizations working in Guinea

Social And Economic Council

  • provides advice to the parliament, president and the cabinet
  • made up of eminent citizens
  • committees for each issue: women, children, education, social affairs
  • formed in 1984

International organizations meeting

  • UNESCO
  • WHO
  • International Migration Organization
  • Red Cross
  • FAO
    • short briefing on their programmes and activities
    • Special Rapporteur brief intervention on importance of including persons with disabilities in all programmes; importance of collaboration between them; importance of bringing up the issues in the summit
    • Persons with disabilities were accompanying the Special Rapporteur all disabilities were represented

Ministry of Finance

  • meeting with the Prime Minister was very informative. He talked about institutional change and admitted that concern with the issues has been around for a long time and that there is a major lack in resources.
  • Long history with the solidarity city-city of training and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities. Have been relocated back to their own communities after spending time with their families in solidarity city
  • Fundamental question: resources to meet the needs and the programmes for persons with disabilities
  • They are now drafting a budget for 2006-2007. there was a promise to include a line in the budget for issues of persons with disabilities

Meeting with DPOs

  • one of the richest most informative meetings
  • lengthy discussion
  • organized in a way to give each one to have sufficient time to present their orgs, their mandate, their concerns, their challenges and the difficulties they face
  • 15 orgs blind, deaf, parents of persons with disabilities, children of persons with disabilities, sports, training, rehabilitation, education, capacity building
  • Difficulties: lack of resources, lack of government attention, lack of awareness, general poverty, lack of internal and organizational capacity
  • Propositions of action: strengthening and supporting the federation, passing the law
  • Poverty as a major problem: children of persons with disabilities, begging

Major Challenges

  • Funding and technical assistance
  • African Decade has not been put into practice
  • Documentation and visas for travel to attend international and regional event and participate in sports activities
  • Sports equipment
  • Gainful employment
  • Women with disabilities marginalized
  • Recognition for the organizations of persons with disabilities
  • Voices of persons with disabilities
  • Pressure government to support the federation
  • Pressure government to support mandatory programmes for persons with disabilities
  • Funding at the local level
  • Strengthening the connection internationally
  • December 3rd is not acknowledged by the government
  • First time given an chance to express themselves, goals and aspirations


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