Marrakesh Treaty: Empowering People with Disabilities for Fundamental Knowledge and Human Rights

26 December 2023

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Phnom Penh – Representative of His Excellency Chea Somethy, Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, H.E Em Chan Makara, Secretary of State and Secretary-General of the Disability Action Council, H.E Long Ponnasirivath from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and Ms. Alissar Chaker, the United Nations Development Program Representative in Cambodia, actively participated in the National Workshop on Copyright related to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Marrakesh Convention on December 21, 2023, held at the Phnom Penh Hotel.

Addressing the seminar, H.E Em Chan Makara underscored the significance of the Marrakesh Treaty in facilitating effective access to basic human rights education, employment opportunities, and cultural activities for people with disabilities.

Highlighting the challenges faced by those with difficulty reading printed documents, particularly the blind and visually impaired individuals constituting 35% of Cambodia’s total disability population, H.E Em Chan Makara emphasized the need for accessible documents in various formats such as Braille, voice-typed text, e-books, or large-format documents.

Moreover, H.E Long Ponnasirivath and Ms. Alissar Chaker reiterated the importance of the Marrakesh Treaty in fostering inclusivity for people with disabilities in Cambodia. They emphasized that access to knowledge is a fundamental human right that facilitates education, employment, health, and active participation in various fields.

The workshop, organized for the second time by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the General Secretariat of the Disability Action Council under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), aimed to enhance access to information and education for people with disabilities.

According to the Socio-Economic Survey 2021, Cambodia has a disability rate of 5.3%, with 872,527 people living with disabilities. Notably, the percentage of people with visual impairments increased from 2.8% in 2019/2020 to 3.1%. Joining the Marrakesh Treaty is seen as a crucial step in supporting the growing needs of people with disabilities, ensuring a socially inclusive environment for all.