Vietnam promotes working rights of people with disabilities

Vietnam and Australia jointly organised an international seminar on creating employment opportunities and favourable working conditions for people with disabilities in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 3.

The event is part of activities on the sidelines of the 31st regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) from February 29 to March 24.

Participants at the seminar included the UNHRC Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities and representatives of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Pacific Disability Forum and many non-governmental organisations and countries.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc stressed the need for a legal framework to ensure access to employment opportunities and favourable working conditions for people with disabilities.

He called for improvements of infrastructure facilities and means of public transport to meet the need of the disabled as well as educational and vocational training support for the disadvantaged group.

The Vietnamese diplomat highlighted Vietnam’s continuous and utmost efforts to ensure the rights of people with disabilities, who account for 7.8 percent of the country’s population.

Meanwhile, participants shared their views on the challenges facing the group in exercising their right to work, including access to employment opportunities and discrimination at workplaces.

The ILO representative laid emphasis on the role of employers in handling the situation. Other international representatives mentioned measures to exploit the capability of the targeted group.

They underlined the need for developing a legal framework and incentives to support the disabled, while enhancing public awareness of their working rights.

Also on the sidelines of the UNHRC session, Deputy Minister Ngoc had bilateral meetings with Guatemala Foreign Minister Carlos Rau Monrales Moscoso, Australian Special Envoy for Human Rights Philip Ruddock, and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Masakazu Hamachi.

Bilateral cooperation, particularly in human rights promotion at international multilateral forums including the UNHRC, was among the themes of discussion at the meetings.-VNA