First Lady reaffirms Guyana’s commitment to disability inclusion at UN

Guyana’s First Lady, Arya Ali, whilst delivering statement at the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), where she highlighted Guyana’s growing commitment to disability inclusion.
The 18th Session of the Conference is being held from 10-12 June 2025, under the theme ‘Enhancing public awareness of the rights and contributions of persons with disabilities for social development leading up to the Second World Summit for Social Development’. The Conference of States Parties is held annually, since 2008, at the UN Headquarters, covering a range of themes and issues on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

According to the First Lady, Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) serves as a backbone in strengthening this national commitment to persons with disabilities.
“Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy reinforces this commitment, and our Government backs it with practical support. This includes free healthcare and assistive devices, employment and housing opportunities, inclusion in the school system, and lifelong public assistance for everyone with permanent disabilities. A Disability Support Unit was created to ensure inclusion and prevent discrimination,” she stated.
She emphasised that under the One Guyana initiative, youths with disabilities are being provided with the tools and resources to pursue economic opportunities.
The First Lady also shared that Guyana recently launched the Centre for Equity, Opportunity and Innovation, which currently employs scores of persons with disabilities and provides technical, vocational, and business development training.
Additionally, she referenced the collective efforts of the Mahaica Learning Lab, the Board of Industrial Training, the Business Centre, and the Open Doors Vocational Centre, all of which offer free skills training for persons with disabilities.
Guyana is also home to the Regional Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, which provides early diagnoses for children with disabilities.
Drawing a connection between a society’s character and its treatment of the vulnerable, she remarked that Guyana is proud of its efforts as it pertains to educating vulnerable persons.
“As we believe that the most effective way to give true meaning to the Convention is through education, empowerment, and engagement. These are the pillars upon which we will continue to build a future where the rights of all persons with disabilities are realised.”
She further acknowledged that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities remains the gold standard for promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in every area of life.
In line with its obligations under the Convention, Guyana has taken decisive steps to protect and uphold these rights.
The Prevention of Discrimination Act and the Persons with Disabilities Act provide a robust legal foundation—prohibiting discrimination in employment, mandating rehabilitation, ensuring access to free education and healthcare, and promoting inclusion in cultural and recreational life.
The National Commission on Disability remains the principal agency responsible for the promotion and protection of these rights.
In closing, the First Lady pointed to the Government’s tangible efforts in recent years: hundreds of persons with disabilities have received house lots, and under the President’s Men on a Mission (MoM) programme, homes have been built and construction materials provided for persons with disabilities across the country.
The First Lady is leading a four-member delegation which also comprises: Ganesh Singh, Programme Manager, Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities; Dr Ariane Mangar, Director of Disability and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Health; and Ravin Singh, Director of Projects, Policy & Public Affairs, Office of the First Lady. Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett along with Ambassador Trishala Persaud, Deputy Permanent Representative, and Abosede Hazlewood, Second Secretary, comprise the team from Guyana’s Permanent Mission to the UN.