New York (VNA) – The Vietnamese Government attaches great importance to bettering the lives and protecting and promoting the rꦑig🌊hts of people with disabilities, stated Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, the Vietnamese Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN).

Speaking at the ongoing 9th Session of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in New York on June 14, the diplomat affirmed that Vietnam is doing its best to implement laws and policies to support people with disabilities in healthcare, inclusive and equitable education, employment, accessibility to public services, legal services, cultural and sport activities. Up to 7.2 million Vietnamese people are living with disabilities, Nga reported. The Vietnamese Government always encourages the multi-stakeholder approach to explore and mobilise the potential of the society in assisting people with disabilities, she said, adding that the country promotes equity and full participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of socio-economic development. She noted that disability associations and organisations at all levels in Vietnam are increasingly and actively engaging in disability policy development and implementation. “Vietnam is also of the view that disability indicators and statistical data must be developed to facilitate disability-sensitive development policy planning, monitoring, evaluation and implementation. Participation of peoples with disabilities in these processes is indispensable to ensure their efficiency and accountability,” she said. The United Nations plays a central role in realising the 2030 Agenda and in supporting State Parties to implement the CRPD, the diplomat said, noting that sustainable development goals (SDGs) can not be achieved without tackling the challenges people with disabilities are now facing, especially poverty and inequality. The Ambassador also underlined the need to strengthen global partnership, fulfill development commitments, share knowledge and disability-friendly technology, in order to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. In his speech at the session, President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft called for cooperation among countries and organisations to approve multilateral partnership initiatives, towards promoting and ensuring the rights of 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide through the implementation of the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda. To date, as many as 164 countries joined and adopted the CRPD. Participants to the session will focus discussions on poverty eradication and inequality, and ways to increase accessibility of people with disabilities to information and technology and social integration, among others, during their sitting on June 15-16.-VNA