Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya on Friday
signed a new human rights treaty, a major international agreement
recognizing the rights of the disabled.
Over 80 states signed the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities to indicate their resolution to
protect the rights of the world's 650 million persons with
disabilities.
Administrative Vice President of China Disabled Persons'
Federation, Lu Shiming, attended the signing ceremony. He said
China values the rights of its 82.96 million people with
disabilities and has contributed to the signing of the
convention.
China is willing to enhance friendly exchange and cooperation
with other countries and help improve the situations of the
disabled worldwide, Lu said.
The convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly on
December 13, 2006. The treaty, which will enter into force when it
is ratified by 20 countries, is the first comprehensive human
rights convention to be adopted this century.
It follows long-standing efforts by disability organizations and
an increasing international recognition that existing UN human
rights treaties failed to fully protect people with
disabilities.
(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2007)
