Jordan Times
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Jordan wins Franklin Delano
Roosevelt (FDR) award
NEW YORK (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said Jordan was
committed to ensuring that its social, educational and economic systems were
open to disabled citizens.
Accepting the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award at the UN
headquarters here, King Abdullah said Jordan, which was the first Arab country
to win the award, was “convinced that a comprehensive approach to development
and reform helps all society advance.”
“Every person has a right to make the most of their life. And every person has a
contribution to make to their nation,” the King told a ceremony.
Speakers during the event praised Jordan's efforts to enact legislations that
guarantee the disabled equality, as well as King Abdullah's endeavours to
achieve peace and prosperity in the entire region.
They included UN General Assembly President Jean Ping, Nane Annan, spouse of UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan who delivered an address on his behalf, and Vice
Chairman of the World Committee on Disability Michael de Blant. Others included
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, the granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and
co-chair of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, Ambassador William
vanden Heuvel, co-chair of the institute, and Robert David Hall, chairman of the
National Organisation on Disability (NOD).
The award is given out by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute and the
World Committee on Disability. It recognises outstanding action in support of
the United Nations World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons,
adopted by the General Assembly in 1982.
A NOD statement said the award “acknowledges Jordan's exemplary efforts to
improve the lives of people with disabilities in their country, as called for by
the UN World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons.”
According to the statement, Jordan was one of the first Middle Eastern countries
to enact disability-specific legislation and introduce building codes aimed at
accessibility.
Commenting on the event, HRH Prince Raad Ben Zeid, chief chamberlain, wrote an
article reviewing the award's history and Jordan's achievements concerning the
welfare of the disabled.
Prince Raad said the Kingdom played a key role in entrenching the principles
promoted by the UN World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons.
He added that Jordan's efforts dated back to 1993 when the Kingdom issued the
“Law for the Welfare of Disabled Persons.” Subsequently, the National Council
for the Welfare of Disabled Persons was established, he said, to set and
evaluate policies on people with special needs.