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)