UN Viet Nam Resident Coordinator's Speech on International Day of Persons with Disabilities

It is a great honour for me to be here at the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities December 3.

Often stigma and discrimination close the door of opportunity on people with disabilities. They are defined by their disabilities and not their abilities and potential, they are thought in terms of cost and not contribution to social and economic development. This year’s Pralympic games were a reminder of the immense potential of persons with disabilities to soar and inspire others.

Approximately over 1 billion people of the world population live with one or more disabilities. They often face various barriers to their full potential. The ‘world’s largest minority’ do not have equal access to society and services. In Viet Nam, there are about 6.7 million persons with disabilities and nearly 30% of households with a disabled family member live below the poverty line compared to households without people with disabilities.

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Government of Vietnam for the signing of the Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities and the issuing the Law on Person with Disability and guidelines for implementing the new Law. I would like to urge the Government to continue its successful efforts and ratify the Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities.

This year theme is “removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society”. Through the One Plan, UN system in Vietnam is committed to continuing our work with stakeholders to promote cross-cutting approach to address disability related issues.

At the global level, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a High-Level meeting on disability and development next year. This gathering will take place as the international community works to forge a post-2015 development agenda, presenting an opportunity to ensure that the rights, concerns and contributions of persons with disabilities are fully taken into account.

I would like to conclude with the message of the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon for today: “Together, we must strive to achieve the goals of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: to eliminate discrimination and exclusion, and to create societies that value diversity and inclusion”.

Thank you for your attention and I look forward to our continued efforts in working together for a fair and just world!