The Qatar Social Work Foundation, represented by the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities and Al Noor Center for the Blind, participated in the proceedings of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP19), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. This participation comes as part of its efforts to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, support their active participation in society, and strengthen the State of Qatar’s presence in international forums concerned with disability issues and social empowerment. The delegation of the Foundation was headed by Mr. Mishal Abdullah Al‑Nuaimi, Executive Director of Al Noor Center for the Blind.

As part of the conference activities, the Qatar Social Work Foundation, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations in New York, organized a side event entitled “From Education to Economic Participation: Redesigning Transition Pathways for Persons with Disabilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” The event was held in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), the Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities, and with the participation of a select group of experts, specialists, and representatives of international and regional organizations concerned with the rights of persons with disabilities.

The event was organized in response to the need to address the existing gap between educational outcomes and effective integration into the labor market, particularly for persons with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. It focused on moving from traditional models that separate education, training, and employment to integrated pathways that link learning, practical application, and economic participation.

The event also highlighted the potential of smart technologies and artificial intelligence to support the independence of persons with disabilities by adapting learning methods to individual needs, supporting task performance in real work environments, simplifying complex processes, enhancing opportunities for economic participation, and reducing reliance on direct support.

Participants discussed a number of key topics, including barriers that hinder the effective transition from education to the labor market; ways to redesign transition pathways through integrated learning and smart technologies; and mechanisms for transforming successful practices into sustainable, scalable national policies that are tailored to different contexts.

On the sidelines of the conference, Al Noor Center for the Blind and the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities took part in Civil Society Day activities. Al Noor Center for the Blind delivered an intervention that addressed the importance of building more resilient communities by developing comprehensive and sustainable care and support systems for persons with disabilities, in a way that strengthens their independence and guarantees their full participation in all aspects of life.

The intervention focused on the importance of moving from traditional institutional care models to community‑based, person‑centered models that ensure dignity, autonomy, and freedom of choice, alongside the provision of an integrated support system. This system includes early intervention, rehabilitation, independent‑living services, inclusive education, mental health, assistive technology, and opportunities for community and economic participation.

The intervention also stressed the importance of increasing investment in sustainable and accessible community‑based services; supporting families, caregivers, and professionals in the field through training, capacity‑building, and the provision of necessary resources; while safeguarding the right of persons with disabilities to make decisions about their own lives and services, based on the principle of “Nothing about us without us” as a cornerstone for achieving inclusive, human‑rights‑based development.

The intervention further presented the Center’s experience in empowerment, rehabilitation, training, and access to services, and the role of these efforts in promoting independence and active participation for persons with disabilities within society.

In the same context, the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities also participated in Civil Society Day activities. In its intervention, it emphasized that the challenge today is not merely to provide more services, but to ensure that these services are integrated and interconnected in a way that enables persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in society.

The Center stressed that the success of support systems is not measured by the number of services provided, but by their ability to empower persons with disabilities to make their own decisions, develop their skills, and access opportunities for education, employment, and community participation on an equal basis with others, thereby enhancing their independence and consolidating their effective inclusion in society.

This participation comes within the framework of the efforts of the Qatar Social Work Foundation and its specialized centers to support the rights of persons with disabilities and enhance their opportunities for empowerment and independence. It also reflects the State of Qatar’s commitment to contributing actively to international efforts aimed at building more inclusive and sustainable societies. The participation falls within the Foundation’s role in activating its consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), thereby strengthening its presence in international forums and contributing to the exchange of experiences and practices that support the issues of persons with disabilities.