Another electoral pledge kept

It is not unusual for Labour governments to punctually implement electoral promises, but this one, the Robert Abela Administration, in particular. Just a few months since the general election in March of this year we have seen a string of such pledges being kept, highlighted recently by the signing by Malta of the 2000 Hague Convention, which was also one of several commitments in the Budget 2023 proposals.

The signing of this Convention on the International Protection of Adults, which provides for the protection in international situations of adults who, by reason of an impairment or insufficiency of their personal faculties, are not in a position to protect their interests, is indeed a historic moment for Malta, given the Government has made it a priority to mainstream Inclusion into every aspect of life.

In more technical terms, “the Convention avoids conflicts between the legal systems of Contracting Parties in respect of jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of measures for the protection of adults. The Convention also ensures that a ‘power of representation’ has force of law in another Contracting Party. The Convention affirms that the interests of the adult and respect for his or her dignity and autonomy are to be primary considerations.”

So much has been achieved in the disability and vulnerability sectors in Malta, with a chain of reforms paving the way for even more reforms, more assistance and more opportunities that help create a more open and effective society that really cares and still seeks to strengthen all that is left to be done on the platforms of justice and social harmony.

We are the 17th EU member state to sign the Convention and we do so out of conviction and a determination to continue assisting marginalised groups by assuring them a voice and passing reforms that help persons in situations of vulnerability to be an active part of this far-reaching process of inclusion, equity and independence. As I said in my short address to the HCCH Special Commission held in The Netherlands to discuss salient matters related to the Convention, one key example of our incessant work is the disability sector where we have seen the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy through major reforms, such as by extending hate crimes legislation to cover not only disabled persons, but also older disabled persons, as a protected category.

After all, we have been developing legislation to create such domestic structures in support – and the protection – of these people, whether they are foreign nationals moving to Malta or Maltese nationals moving abroad. We had, in our electoral manifesto, pledged to adopt such legislation, and to sign and ratify the 2000 Convention, thus becoming a member of the ever-growing family of HCCH members that have signed it.

Signing – and eventually ratifying – the Convention confirms that we seek to bolster our commitment at both national and international levels. It is only fair to say that in recent years we have also made sure that words, so often expressed in the past by various administrations with good intentions, are finally turned into concrete action. The results are there for everyone to see and for all those involved in the disability and vulnerability sectors to acknowledge them as a way of further whetting our conviction and determination to keep on introducing reforms that make an actual difference to people who need our assistance for them to live a fruitful and fulfilling life.

We certainly look forward to Malta’s ratification of the Convention as we take the next steps in seeing the benefits of the Convention up and running on our Island, for the benefit of persons in situations of vulnerability not only among us but everywhere.

A caring society cannot wish for a better challenge, one like many others that have been met and been dealt with over the past few years.