The Somalia National Disability Policy has been formally approved by the Cabinet of the Federal Government of Somalia, following a vote by the Council of Ministers.
a good news for the Somalia PWDs an estimated of 16% in the Somali population nearly 3 million people who are suffering disproportional un-employment and poverty in the society attributed discriminations and exclusions.
Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development, tabled the policy in the cabinet . great work  marking an important milestone in advancing the rights and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) at the national level.
This decision reflects growing government recognition of disability as a key human rights and development priority. that can support the inclusion cross sectoral and establishment of national development fund.
The National Disability Agency NDA was key actor in the policy making the disability inclusion and played commendable role as a key development and advancement of the National Disability Policy.
The policy is broadly viewed as progressive, supportive, and responsive to the needs of PWDs and Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). It provides a framework aimed at promoting protection, participation, and equal opportunities for PWDs across social, economic, and political spheres.
However, despite these positive developments, there is concerns remain, regarding the level of consultation and participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) and OPDs during the policy formulation process and validation.
Many OPDs, who are the legitimate representatives of PWDs in Somalia, report that they were not adequately consulted or given the opportunity to review and contribute to the policy validations before its approval. this can be mentioned exclusion of the owners of the policy.
This raises questions about the inclusiveness of the process and the extent to which the policy reflects the lived experiences of PWDs. and the Persons drafted include foreign expert and non disabled national who may not have in-depth experience and knowledge the disability issue.
There are also important concerns about whether the policy sufficiently creates and protects civic and operational space for OPDs as key actors in disability advocacy, service delivery, and accountability.
Furthermore, it is critical to assess whether the accompanying implementation strategy is fully aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the National Disability Act.
Alignment with these frameworks is essential to ensure meaningful participation of PWDs and to address long-standing systemic exclusion.
The Somali Disability Network (SDN) warmly welcomes and appreciates this significant step forward by the Federal Government toward the development and protection of disability rights in Somalia.
SDN emphasizes that strong partnership with OPDs is vital for effective implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the policy.
Inclusive collaboration will help identify progress, address challenges, and ensure that the policy translates into real and lasting improvements in the lives of PWDs across the country.
