Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, permanent representative of Vietnam at the United Nations (UN). (Photo: VNA) New York (VNA) – The promotion and protection of rights of persons with disabilities is always high on Vietnam’s agenda, said Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, permanent representative of Vietnam at the United Nations (UN), in New York, the United States, on June 13.
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) with over 500 delegates from member states of the convention and organizations 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 organizations in the implementation of the Convention”.
Speaking at the conference, Nga said “the international community has made 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 cited the fact that Vietnam is among countries with high disability prevalence with 7.2 million persons living with one or more disabilities or about 8 percent 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 noted.
“Vietnam 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 organizations in Vietnam are increasing in number and actively engaging in disability policy development and implementation. Persons with disabilities are able to access free legal service to better protect their rights. We also encourage the multi-stakeholder approach to explore and mobilize the potential of the society in assisting persons with disabilities”, she said.
Nga also thanked UN agencies, development partners and many organizations and individuals for the support extended to persons with disabilities in Vietnam, and look forward to their continued assistance.
Underway at the UN headquarters in New York from June 13-15, 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 SDGs 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.-VNA
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