Asia Pacific Disability Forum wraps up

The Asia Pacific Disability Forum 2014 (APDF) concluded in Hanoi on November 28 after the two days of sitting.

The forum heard the Hanoi Statement, which showed Vietnam and other Asian Pacific countries’ commitment to helping the people with disabilities to ensure their rights prescribed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Vietnamese National Assembly on the same day passed a resolution ratifying the Convention.

Ha Dinh Bon, Head of the Legislation Department under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, stressed the adoption reflected Vietnam’s strong commitment to protecting the people with disabilities as well as promoting the development to bring more benefits to them.

Delegates at the forum.

It is also a legal foundation to affirm Vietnam’s view on issues relating to disabled people and human right in general, Bon said.

Speaking at the closing session, Joakim Parker, Chief Representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam said his agency has supported the network of medical workers to better the quality of orthopedic services and expand the application of therapeutic methods to more disabled people in Vietnam, which aim to improve their ability.

USAID will continue to provide support for Vietnam to help build polices related to the people with disabilities, Parker added.

With two plenary sessions, the forum created a platform for the people with disabilities to share a wide range of topics from policy building, social welfare, and vocational training to social integration and climate change impact.

In the frame work of the event, a number of margin activities were organised such as a photo exhibition, a gala dinner and a walking tour of Hanoi in response to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3).

On the occasion, donors presented 25 scholarships to young people with disabilities nationwide.

According to the United Nations, around 15 percent of the world’s population or 1 billion people live with disabilities.

Vietnam has more than 6.7 million people with disabilities, accounting for 8.7 percent of the population.