L.S. 627.02 Regolamenti dwar ENGAGE

(1)The title of these regulations is the ENGAGE Regulations, and these regulations shall be read and construed as one with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, hereinafter referred to as "the principal Act". Title and commencement. Cap. 627.

(2)These regulations shall come into force on such date as the Minister responsible for disability and the development of this sector, may by notice in the Gazette establish, and different dates may be so established for different purposes and for different regulations of these Regulations.

1. For the purposes of these regulations: " "Act" means the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act;" "Autism Advisory Council" means the Autism Advisory Council set up in terms of article 3 of the Persons within the Autism Spectrum (Empowerment) Act; Interpretation. Cap.
2. Cap.
3. "DDI" shall have the same meaning assigned to it in the Act; "ENGAGE" shall have the same meaning assigned to it in the Act; "IDCC" means the Inter-Departmental Coordination Committee set up in terms of regulation 6 of the UNCRPD National Coordination Mechanism Regulations, 2022; L.N. 209 of
4. "KLSM" means the Sign Language Council of Malta set up in terms of article 7 of the Maltese Sign Language Recognition Act; Cap.
5. "Minister" shall have the same meaning assigned to it in the Act; "Permanent Secretary" means the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry responsible for disability and the development of this sector; "UNCRPD National Coordination Mechanism" shall have the same meaning assigned to it in the Act; *These regulations are all in force except regulation 3(c) (ii). Vide Legal Notice 64 of
6. 2 [ S.L. 627.02 Cap.
7. Composition. ENGAGE "voluntary organisation" shall have the same meaning assigned to it in the Voluntary Organisations Act.".
8. There shall be a participation mechanism within DDI, referred to as ENGAGE, appointed by the Minister after consultation with the Permanent Secretary, and composed of twelve

(12)persons, namely a Chairperson and eleven

(11)ex officio members as well as other members, as follows: (

1. a)the Chairperson of ENGAGE shall be a person with disability, with a proven record of activism; (
2. b)ENGAGE: the following shall be the ex officio members of (
3. i)the Director responsible for DDI or his representative; (
4. ii)the Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability or his representative; (iii) the President of the national umbrella organisation for the disability sector as recognised by Government, from time to time, or his representative; (
5. iv)the Head of the Department of Disability Studies within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing of the University of Malta or his representative; (
6. c)ENGAGE: the following shall be the other six

(6)members of (i) four

(4)members who shall be persons with disability, each of whom shall either represent a voluntary organisation for persons with disability, or represent himself (self-advocate); Cap. 16. (ii)* two

(2)members who shall be persons supporting persons with disability further to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Code; (iii) one

(1)member who shall be the parent of a child with disability. Term and termination of mandate. 4.

(1)The members of ENGAGE shall hold such position for three

(3)years, and shall be eligible for reappointment as members when their period in office lapses.

(2)A member may at any time resign from his office by informing the Minister in writing. *Not yet in force. ENGAGE [ S.L. 627.02 3

(3)A member may at any time be removed or suspended from office by the Minister after consultation with the Permanent Secretary as a result of: (

1. a)proven inability to perform his functions as member of ENGAGE; (
2. b)proven misbehaviour; (
3. c)unjustified absence for more than three

(3)consecutive meetings; or (d) if, being a chosen member due to his representative state, he stops from holding that representative state;

(4)Should a vacancy arise further to a resignation or removal or suspension contemplated in sub-regulations

(1)or

(2)above, the Minister after consultation with the Permanent Secretary shall appoint a member to replace said member who would have resigned or was removed or suspended: Provided that in the case of ex officio members, the new member appointed to replace the member who would have resigned, or was suspended or removed, would be from the same entity which the member who resigned, or was suspended or removed, represented. 5.

(1)The Minister after consultation with the Permanent Secretary shall appoint a secretary to perform necessary administrative and clerical tasks required for the proper functioning of ENGAGE. Secretary.

(2)Said appointment shall be effected for a period of three

(3)years, and the secretary should be eligible for reappointment when his period in office lapses.

1. The Chairperson and members of ENGAGE may receive such honoraria as the Minister may prescribe, from time to time. Honoraria.
2. KLSM and the Autism Advisory Council shall be consulted through DDI on matters that would fall within the remit of said bodies, and representatives of said bodies may also be invited to specific meetings on an ad hoc basis, following agreement between the Director responsible for DDI and the Chairperson of ENGAGE. Participation of state-appointed councils. 8.

(1)ENGAGE shall meet at the call of the Chairperson, and a meeting agenda as circulated to members by the Secretary shall be comprised of any one

(1)or more of the following items: Meetings, quorum and voting. (

1. i)substantive points related to legislation, policy or strategy referred to it by the IDCC within the UNCRPD National Coordination Mechanism; 4 [ S.L. 627.02 ENGAGE (
2. ii)points placed on the agenda by the Chairperson, following requests by members of ENGAGE, with the intention of conveying the results of deliberation on said points to the IDCC; (iii) agenda points that follow up earlier discussed agenda points.

(2)A simple majority of members of ENGAGE shall constitute a quorum.

(3)ENGAGE shall act by a majority vote of its serving members present and voting. In the case of equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have the right to exercise the casting vote. Relationship with UNCRPD National Coordination Mechanism. 9. The Chairperson, assisted by the secretary, shall liaise with the UNCRPD National Coordination Mechanism concerning the matters mentioned in regulation 8.