NEW YORK – The promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities is high on Việt Nam’s agenda, said Ambassador Nguyễn Phương Nga, Việt Nam’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

She made the statement at the 10th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on June 13, with over 500 delegates from member states of the convention and organisations for people with disabilities worldwide in attendance.

This year, it is themed ’The Second Decade of the CRPD: Inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the implementation of the Convention’.

Speaking at the conference, Nga said “The international community has achieved significant results in promoting employment, education, full and equal participation of persons with disabilities since the convention was adopted more than a decade ago."

She urged the world to do more in the second decade of the convention, especially for those who are still living in poverty, inequality, discrimination, limited accessibility and social protection.

“We have an excellent opportunity now when the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are very much complementing each other. Our job is to turn these international frameworks into synergetic and coherent actions to achieve an inclusive and sustainable society that ensures, promotes, and upholds the rights of all persons with disabilities,” the ambassador added.

Nga pointed out that Việt Nam was among countries with high disability prevalence, having 7.2 million persons living with one or more disabilities or about 8 per cent of the population.

The country has put in place legal, regulatory and policy frameworks to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities, as the Law on Persons with Disabilities applies 25 of 30 articles of the CRPD, the ambassador said.

“Việt Nam promotes the full participation of persons with disabilities, which is essential not only for themselves but also to help develop disability-sensitive legislations and strategies. Disability associations and organisations in Việt Nam are increasing in number and actively engaging in disability policy development and implementation. Persons with disabilities can access free legal service to better protect their rights. We also encourage the multi-stakeholder approach to explore and mobilise the potential of the society in assisting persons with disabilities,” she said.

Nga also thanked the UN agencies, development partners, and many organisations and individuals for the support extended to persons with disabilities in Việt Nam, and looked forward to their continued assistance.

Underway at the UN headquarters in New York from June 13 to June 15, the conference aims to address the impact of multiple discrimination on persons with disabilities, and promoting their participation and multi-stakeholder partnerships for achieving the sustainable development goals in line with the CRPD; inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action, and promoting inclusive urban development and implementation of the New Urban Agenda. —VNS