National Individual Consultant: Support the Finalisation and Endorsement of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the State of Palestine

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For every child, the right to Protection 

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood through to adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. We are working for every child and young person in the State of Palestine. 

Since 2017, UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) in reviewing and updating the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The aim is to align national legislation with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and ensure full protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

The current Disability Law No. (4) of 1999 established important principles of equality and non-discrimination but has faced implementation challenges, mainly due to limited resources. Following Palestine’s ratification of the CRPD, the law no longer fully aligns with international standards, prompting continued advocacy from the disability movement for its revision.

With UNICEF’s support, MOSD has led broad consultations with stakeholders and developed several drafts of the revised law. Although the draft has reached the Cabinet multiple times, adoption was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, recurring conflicts, shifting priorities, and fiscal constraints.

Recently, momentum has increased to finalize the law, driven by the government’s renewed commitment to strengthening the disability legal framework and the upcoming discussion of Palestine’s first CRPD State Report. This effort has gained further traction following the issuance of Law by Decree No. 36 of 2023, which formalized the publication of the CRPD ratified by the State of Palestine in 2014.

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of this assignment is to provide high-level legal expertise and technical support to the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) to finalize and endorse a revised Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The consultant will ensure that the law is fully aligned with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), national legislations and reflects the current policy, humanitarian, and socioeconomic realities in the State of Palestine. The assignment seeks to strengthen the legal framework protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly amid the collapse of related infrastructure in Gaza and the deteriorating socioeconomic conditions in the West Bank, and to reinforce the State of Palestine’s compliance with its obligations under the CRPD.

The specific objectives of this assignment is In response to MOSD’s request to advance the process, UNICEF seeks to engage a consultant to:

• Review and update the latest draft of the law to ensure full alignment with the CRPD and relevant national legislations, humanitarian, and socioeconomic context. This includes considering the significant changes since 2023, such as the collapse of disability-related infrastructure in Gaza and the severe socioeconomic deterioration in the West Bank, both of which have disproportionately affected persons with disabilities and widened service and protection gaps. Comparative insights from disability laws in other regions or conflict-affected contexts may also be considered, acknowledging contextual differences.
• Facilitate consultations with the General Union of Persons with Disabilities, government ministries, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and other key stakeholders to ensure inclusive participation and consensus.
• Provide technical guidance to the Technical Committee overseeing the endorsement process, composed of representatives from MOSD, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Justice and key disability organizations