The Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability is the officially recognised national federation representing civil society’s disability sector both locally and in the international fora.
MFOPD’s representative is also appointed by the Hon. Prime Minister of Malta as a Council Member on the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability.
MFOPD is also a member organisation on the Civil Society Committee of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD). MFOPD is a member of the Platform of Human Rights in Malta (PHROM)
On the international stage, the Federation is an active member of various international organisations and European platforms. It is regularly invited by the European Commission on conferences and seminars related to the European disability sector.
MFOPD is an active member of the European Disability Forum(EDF). The European Disability Forum is an independent NGO that defends the interests of 80 million Europeans with disabilities. We are a unique platform which brings together representative organisation of persons with disabilities from across Europe. We are run by persons with disabilities and their families. We are a strong, united voice of persons with disabilities in Europe. EDF is one of the strongest European platforms lobbying for the rights of persons with disability throughout all the structures of the European Union.
MFOPD is also an active member of the European Network on Independent Living(ENIL). The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a Europe-wide network of disabled people, with members throughout Europe. ENIL is a forum for all disabled people, Independent Living organisations and their non-disabled allies on the issues of Independent Living. ENIL represents the disability movement for human rights and social inclusion based on solidarity, peer support, deinstitutionalisation, democracy, self-representation, cross disability and self-determination. ENIL’s mission is to advocate and lobby for Independent Living values, principles and practices, namely for barrier-free environment, provision of personal assistance support and adequate technical aids, together making full citizenship of disabled people possible. ENIL’s activities target European, national and local administrations, politicians, media, and the general society. ENIL works to strengthen the empowerment of disabled people mainly through providing resources for peer counselling and peer training. ENIL enhances the European disability network by providing the arena for the sharing of experience of services and in providing economical, logistics and technical expertise.
MFOPD represents Malta on the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF). The Commonwealth promotes democracy and equality across its member countries with over 2.5 billion citizens. Over 450 million are persons with disability, mainly young people. The self-organisation of Commonwealth Disabled People’s organisations and their collaboration, capacity building with each other and advocacy play a crucial role in implementing the CRPD and the Sustainable Development Goals. The relaunching of the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum with the support of DPOs in majority of Commonwealth countries give a supportive and democratic structure to ensure people with disability across the Commonwealth are not left behind. MFOPD is a full member of CDPF.
MFOPD is the national association representing our consumers on CITIZENStandards. CITIZENStandards supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It considers that European and international standards have an important role and contribution in increasing the accessibility and usability of products and services. Their final goal is accessibility for all. The interests of people with disabilities can be better addressed through an increased participation and input from of people with disabilities in the standardisation process. Each person is considered of important value for CITIZENStandards, and standardisation can become an opportunity for companies employing citizens in difficult situations or those who are excluded from the traditional labour market.