(VOVworld) – Protecting and promoting the rights of people with disabilities has always been a top priority of Vietnam’s government, said Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, the head of Vietnam’s Mission to the UN at the 8^th conference of signatories to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

People with disabilities learn how to weave at a Vocational Training Centre in Binh Duong province (Photo: VNA)

It was the first time Vietnam has attended the conference since its official ratification of the convention last February. Ambassador Nga highlighted Vietnam’s national project to support people with disabilities for the 2012-2020 period, which focuses on healthcare, education, employment, access to public and legal services, and cultural and sports activities. Vietnam is working on statistics of people with disabilities and addressing their vulnerabilities in crises and disasters, she added.
“People may have disabilities, but they are not disabled,” Ambassador Nga stressed, saying that providing people with disabilities with access to vocational training and employment is a sustainable way to ensure their full and equal participation in social activities and help them escape poverty.