Malta has deposited the documents for the ratification of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disability, which will start being enforced locally from November 9.
Justice Minister Chris Said announced on Wednesday that the instruments were deposited at the UN on October 10. He was piloting the second reading of a Bill amending the Civil Code, aimed at introducing the concept of guardianship of interdicted or incapacitated persons in Maltese law.
Guardianship could be limited to certain sectors. It was personalised and could be revised.
The convention established that persons with disability were entitled to equal rights, thus moving from the concept of charity. The convention also redefined the concept of disability providing these persons protection against discrimination in the right to life, access, independent living, education, employment and participation in public and political life.
Dr Said emphasised that the ratification of the convention meant that Malta was committed to a better quality of life for disabled persons.
The national commission for persons with disability (KNPD) together with NGOs and others were fully involved in drafting the Bill, which was being presented on the 25th anniversary of the KNPD.
The commission was being appointed as the independent mechanism promoting and monitoring the implementation of the UN convention.
The minister said the commission was instrumental in changing attitudes. He referred also to initiatives it had taken – including the drafting of the Equal Opportunities Act in 2000 which was supported and approved by the Government and Opposition.
Earlier this year, other anti-discriminatory amendments were approved.
Today there were 80 voluntary groups which worked with disabled people.
Dr Said said the guardian would be responsible to ensure the well-being of the person with disability and protect his property. He would also be able to take any action as authorised by the Guardianship Board.
Meanwhile, the board would be responsible for appointing guardians if it felt there was a just cause for appointing one. It would also be responsible to give specific direction where guardianship involved the administration of the person’s money or property.
It will be composed of a practising or a retired judge or magistrate, one member appointed after consultation with the National Commission Persons with Disability and another member appointed after consultation with the relevant authority responsible for safeguarding the rights of persons with mental disorder.
The Board must first ensure that a person – over 18 and resident in Malta – was capable of acting as a guardian and that he would act in the best interest of the person with a disability.
Once the law came into effect, it would keep building on the achievement of people with disabilities, who were capable of contributing towards society.
Interview skills training that should have been provided to 230 people with a disability was given to 430 people.
The government was anaylsing EU law to ensure positive discrimination in favour of persons with a disability in the government’s procurement.
At present, there were 1,300 people with a disability in employment.