Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister  Vice-Senior General Soe Win addresses ceremony marking  International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021

Nay Pyi Taw December 3

Chairman of National Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addressed the ceremony to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021 observed at the meeting hall of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement in Nay Pyi Taw at 9.30 am today.

The ceremony was also attended by Union Ministers U Ko Ko Hlaing and Dr Thet Thet Khaing, Deputy Ministers and officials and social affairs ministers from states and regions and departmental officials while officials from Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, Myanmar War Veterans Organization, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Myanmar Engineering Society of, Myanmar Physically Handicapped Association, Myanmar Disabled Sports Federation, Myanmar Red Cross Society, Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation, Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, Orphans Reduction and Protection Association (Myanmar), Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Association and Association for Promotion of Careers of Myanmar Women and Children, representatives from local and foreign non-governmental organizations and invited guests attended the ceremony via video conferencing.

The Vice-Senior General delivered an address at the ceremony, saying that ceremonies to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021 are being held in many countries including Myanmar and the United Nations has been exerting efforts not only for rehabilitation and welfare of persons with disabilities but also for flourishing of human rights which every human being is entitled to.

In accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 47/3, 3 December has been designated as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in honour of them since 1992. Myanmar, a member of the United Nations, has been observing the ceremony annually and it is the 28th observance since which was first observed in Myanmar since 1994.  The theme  adopted by the United Nations for the  International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021 is "Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world".

With the aims of ensuring people with disabilities have the right to participate fully in society and enjoy human rights as well as other and reducing the inequalities suffered by them, Myanmar signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 7 December 2011.

Being a signatory to the convention, Myanmar has been exerting efforts to ensure that they can enjoy justice, benefits, and full participation in society based on the rights of persons with disabilities and promulgated the Law for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2015) and the Rules for Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2017) in accordance with the convention.

In order to implement the law and the rules effectively, a national level committee and working committee were formed and meetings were held. During these meetings, decisions on education, job opportunities, healthcare, social affairs, projects that will fulfil the fundamental legal needs of persons with disabilities.

The SA Council provided Ks-30,000 per person for the disabled in accordance with the UN 2030 Plan to ensure that no one is left behind during COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, priority has been given to persons with disabilities in COVID-19 vaccination program since September 2021 by adding special programs for vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities.

Based on experiences suffered by persons with disabilities during the outbreak of COVID-19, efforts will be made to develop, implement, monitor and assess projects for inclusiveness of persons with disabilities in 2030 Sustainable Development Goals without losing any momentum.

In conclusion, the Vice-Senior General urged all to join hand friendly with persons with disabilities and their organization in creating a better future world for all humans in post-COVID-19 period and in responding to COVID-19 in accordance with the theme "Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world".

After that, Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Thet Thet Khaing, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disa-bilities, delivered a speech in honour of the event.

Then, the documentary video of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was played and the winners of competitions marking the 2021 International Day of Persons with Disabilities were announced.

Afterwards, the Vice-Senior General posed for documentary photographs together with participants and inspected books on persons with disabilities and documentary photo-graphs of activities carried out for them.