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-tenth 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?to
boost 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.
(China Daily November 5, 2003)