OHRC organises symposium on rights of people with autism

Muscat: Acting in cooperation with the Asia Pacific Forum, Oman Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Wednesday organsed a symposium titled “Respect and support for rights of people with autism from the perspective of national human rights institutions”.

The symposium, which marked World Autism Day, was held via videoconferencing.

Dr. Rashid Hamad Al Balushi, Chairman of OHRC, said that the symposium constituted a link in series of events organised by the OHRC as part of its cooperation with regional and international organisations.

He added that such activities affirm OHRC’s keenness to shoulder its responsibilities in protecting and consolidating human rights, in line with provisions of the Basic Law of the State and international charters and agreements.

The participants agreed to support studies on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), unify related strategies among national human rights institutions, expand partnerships between national institutions and civil society and provide training for autistic children and their families.

Other measures agreed by the participants include developing special programmes for people with autism, supporting public and private initiatives related to autism, reviewing ASD laws and agreements to include this segment and spreading awareness about ASD among members of society.