DILI, 18 November 2019 (TATOLI) – The Brazilian government has backed Timor-Leste’s reforms to improve the lives of those living with a disability, during ministerial meetings in Dili.
Brazil’s National Secretary for the Rights of the Disabled, Ana Paula Nedavaska, today met with Timor’s Minister of Social Solidarity, Armanda Berta dos Santos.
“I am proud to see the government of Timor-Leste create the inter-ministerial team especially to cooperate with civil society and all the citizens to ensure the rights of people with disabilities [are protected],” Ms Santos said.
Timor-Leste’s parliament recently passed “further measures” to prevent discrimination of people living with a disability. But the country is yet to ratify the UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Ms Nedavaska said its appropriate that the CPLP group of Portugese-speaking countries — of which both Timor-Leste and Brazil are members — to help one another in ensuring people living with a disability have the same access to education, health and infrastructure.
“Timor-Leste also has a good opportunity to create [laws] to enshrine disability rights, so that there is no discrimination between…people with a disability” and those without, she said.
A ‘National Council for People with Disabilities’
Minister Santos said the cooperation between Brazil and Timor-Leste began in 2012, and is particularly focussed on data-sharing between the countries to support people with disabilities across all sectors.
But she also said the government, through the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, is not working alone but is cooperating with other ministries to take care of people with disabilities.
“We consider people with disabilities, thus we are taking care of them.”
“In 2020, we will create the National Council for People with Disabilities, to ensure their rights [across] all national development sectors,” she said.
The upcoming state budget allocates around US $2m to that agenda, she said.
Ms Nedavaska was also joined in this visit by Brazil’s Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Aldemo Garcia.
Originally published in Tetum as: Brazíl Apresia Polítika TL ba Ema ho Defisiénsia
Journalist: Florencio Miranda Ximenes
Editors: Maria Auxiliadora; Robert Baird
Translation: Nelia Borges
