This is the first time a G7 Ministerial conference has discussed people with disabilities and related issues. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Nguyen Van Hoi, attended the event.
In his speech at the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi affirmed Vietnam's deep concern for work for people with disabilities.
Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi shared at the conference on people with disabilities (Photo: Nhat Minh).
Specifically, right from the first Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1946, the equal rights of all citizens were recognized. The Constitution emphasized that all Vietnamese citizens, including people with disabilities, have the right to participate in government and nation building, as well as the nation-building process based on their talents and ethics.
These provisions continued to be inherited in the amended Constitutions of 1959, 1980, 1992, and most recently the 2013 Constitution, affirming the protection and respect for human rights, including the rights of people with disabilities.
In 2014, the Vietnamese National Assembly ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, marking an important step forward in protecting their rights.
Then, in 2019, Vietnam ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment for Persons with Disabilities, demonstrating a strong commitment to ensuring that workers with disabilities are not discriminated against in work and employment.
By 2022, Vietnam will continue to join the Marrakesh Treaty, aiming to facilitate access for people with visual disabilities to writing and creative works under the World Intellectual Property Organization.
According to the Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, to realize the Constitution and international commitments, the Vietnamese Government has submitted to the National Assembly many important laws to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Notably, the 2010 Law on Persons with Disabilities, along with related laws such as the Labor Code, the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, the Law on Health Insurance, the Law on Education, the Law on Vocational Education, the Law on Construction, the Law on Traffic and the Law on Legal Aid, stipulate specific policies to support persons with disabilities.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi and delegates attending the conference (Photo: Nhat Minh).
In addition, the Prime Minister has established the National Committee for Persons with Disabilities in Vietnam to direct and address issues related to support for persons with disabilities nationwide.
Over the years, the Vietnamese Government has issued and implemented many important programs and policies to protect, care for and support people with disabilities to integrate into the community.
Typical programs include poverty reduction programs, socio-economic development programs in ethnic minority areas, and programs to support people with disabilities.
These policies aim to ensure the full and comprehensive implementation of human rights and the rights of persons with disabilities in all fields, with particular emphasis on ensuring political, economic, civil, cultural and social security rights.
In addition, the State also focuses on ensuring that children with disabilities have the opportunity to go to school, support people with disabilities to learn a trade, have jobs and sustainable livelihoods, provide preferential loans, support housing and health care. At the same time, people with disabilities are also facilitated to access information, transportation and public services.
Vietnam is a bright spot in poverty reduction.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi said that Vietnam has been recognized by the international community as a bright spot in poverty reduction and achieving sustainable development goals.
The multidimensional poverty rate has declined rapidly, from 60% in 1990 to 13.5% in 2014, and only about 5% by 2023. Vietnam's social security system has continuously expanded its coverage and improved the quality of policies for people with disabilities. Currently, more than 1.6 million people with severe disabilities are receiving monthly social assistance, and 96% of people with disabilities have been issued health insurance cards.
On the sidelines of the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi met and discussed with a delegation from the US Department of Labor (Photo: Nhat Minh).
Children with disabilities also receive support to integrate into mainstream education, and for those who cannot integrate, specialized education facilities are set up to meet their needs.
Currently, nearly 4 million disabled workers in Vietnam are supported with vocational training, job creation and livelihoods. In addition, they are also provided with preferential loans to create job opportunities for themselves.
In addition, people with disabilities are also cared for in many other areas such as transportation, entertainment, and visiting cultural works and historical sites, where they enjoy free or reduced ticket prices.
Despite many achievements, according to Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi, Vietnam is facing many difficulties and challenges in assisting people with disabilities. Ensuring health care, creating employment opportunities, and improving access to construction, transportation, sports, and cultural facilities are still limited.
Furthermore, people with disabilities still face obstacles in competing in the labor market, due to the lack of conditions and support necessary for them to maximize their abilities.
In the coming time, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi emphasized that Vietnam will continue to strengthen international cooperation, learn from the experiences of G7 countries as well as bilateral and multilateral partners around the world.
Vietnam's goal is to achieve comprehensive inclusion and inclusion of persons with disabilities, especially in the areas of health, education, vocational training, employment, access to public facilities, transportation, information and communication technology.
"We will continue to concretize international conventions and commitments into the national legal system, improve policy quality, ensure the implementation of sustainable and inclusive development goals, and leave no one behind, especially people with disabilities," Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi affirmed.
The Deputy Minister also expressed his hope that Vietnam will continue to receive cooperation, technical and financial support from G7 countries to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the coming time.
During his working trip to Italy, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi met and worked with Ms. Sara Minkara, Special Advisor on Disabilities of the US Department of State.
At the meeting, Ms. Minkara appreciated Vietnam and Thailand's co-chairing of the mid-term review of the ASEAN 2025 Master Plans on the integration of the rights of persons with disabilities, which significantly contributed to the future orientation of the region, aiming to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are effectively integrated.
Ms. Sara Minkara also hopes that Vietnam will continue to contribute its voice in integrating the work of ensuring the rights of people with disabilities into the master plan, during the year Malaysia assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship 2025.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/an-sinh/viet-nam-dat-muc-tieu-hoa-nhap-toan-dien-cho-nguoi-khuet-tat-20241016180159597.htm
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