Working to help the world's disabled
( 2003-11-04 22:23) (China Daily)
Government officials and
representatives of non-governmental organizations for disabled persons in Asia
and the Pacific are gathering in Beijing to push for a "practical and
effective'' International Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
An ad hoc committee of the United Nations decided in June to establish the
first special convention in its history to safeguard the rights and interests of
persons with disabilities, who comprise about one 10th of the global population.
The Beijing seminar, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the China Disabled Persons'
Federation, is the last in a series of gatherings aimed at establishing the UN
convention this year.
The four-day seminar, which opened yesterday, is aimed at boosting public
awareness of the process of establishing the convention and to evaluate and
endorse the draft of a convention text prepared by an Expert Group Workshop last
month in Bangkok, Thailand.
The governmental participants are expected to develop a joint statement
expressing collective determination and willingness to support the convention.
The statement will be submitted to the ad hoc committee for another round of
discussion next year.
A number of new and emerging global issues, such as poverty, increased
inequality, armed conflicts, the continuing AIDS threat and technological
advances require more complex norms, processes, institutions and mechanisms to
address the situation of persons with disabilities, said UNESCAP deputy
executive secretary K. Okaido.
China, an enthusiastic initiator and promoter of the international
convention, will pledge its constructive efforts as always, said Deng Pufang,
president of the China Disabled Persons Federation.
"Asia and the Pacific is the region of most vigorous economic and social
development in the world and should play an important role in world issues,
including those regarding persons with disabilities,'' said Deng.
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