RIYADH: The secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, has called on OIC member states, relevant OIC institutions, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to intensify their efforts to provide appropriate services to people with disabilities, and to raise awareness to boost social acceptance and integration of those people. Taha’s statement came on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which takes place every year on Dec. 3. The day aims to “promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development,” according to the United Nations website. The site goes on to say: “In line with the central premise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ‘leave no one behind,’ it is crucial for governments, public and private sectors to collaboratively find innovative solutions for and with persons with disabilities to make the world a more accessible and equitable place.” Taha also called on member states to establish effective systems to collect data on disabilities and people with disabilities, to help deliver appropriate services, policies and programs. The 42nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Kuwait in 2015 called for the development of OIC policies on persons with special needs and persons with disabilities. The Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries, in collaboration with the OIC, prepared a draft plan of action on the integration of persons with disabilities in the member states. The 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Islamabad in March called for an open-ended intergovernmental group of experts meeting to review that plan of action and conclude it ahead of submission to the ministerial conference on social development.