UN Human Rights Treaties

A/AC.265/WP.3
Distr.: Limited
1 August 2002
English
Original: Chinese
02-50721 (E)
*0250721*
Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral
International Convention on Protection and Promotion
of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
New York, 29 July-9 August 2002
Comprehensive and integral international convention
to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons
with disabilities
Position paper by the People’s Republic of China
1. Protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, showing respect for their
worth and tapping their potential are important indicators of civilization and
progress. Persons with disabilities must enjoy the same rights as those without
disabilities, and their cause must be the subject of widespread concern.
2. Persons with disabilities want to participate in social life; they seek to grow
stronger and become self-supporting, and they are capable of making a contribution
to society. They are creators of society’s material and spiritual wealth.
3. Persons with disabilities constitute a vulnerable group; in general their
existence continues to be marked by rejection and marginalization. Laws and
measures must be adopted to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities and
create a better system of legislation to ensure equality, participation and sharing.
4. In formulating their educational, rehabilitation, employment and social
security policies, all countries should take the specific characteristics and needs of
persons with disabilities fully into account and ensure that issues relating to such
persons are reflected in comprehensive national social and economic plans.
5. All countries should pay particular attention to:
(a) Improving the overall quality of life of persons with disabilities;
(b) Providing opportunities for persons with disabilities to obtain education,
training, gainful employment and to participate in policy-making at all levels;
(c) Eliminating all discriminatory social attitudes towards persons with
disabilities and all barriers in the areas of, inter alia, information, the law and basic
infrastructure;

A/AC.265/WP.3
(d) Increasing resource allocations to ensure the equal participation of
persons with disabilities.
6. The problems of persons with disabilities are social problems and also
problems of development. Many of the rights of persons with disabilities can be
implemented only through social development.
7. The international instruments adopted by the United Nations, such as the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons and the Standard Rules on
the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, have been of major
importance in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and improving their
situation. They will continue to form an integral part of the indispensable guiding
principles pertaining to the cause of persons with disabilities.
8. The drafting of a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities is in
keeping with the trends of mankind’s social progress and development and meets the
demands of the world’s 600 million persons with disabilities. The international
community must give high priority to actively formulating the provisions of the
draft convention.
9. Some 80 per cent of all persons with disabilities live in developing countries,
with many people continuing to live in poverty. The draft convention under
consideration should focus on the special situation and difficulties of persons with
disabilities in developing countries and should reflect the just demands of the
developing countries.
10. The convention should be a programmatic document that provides broad
guidance for all countries, advocating the adoption of a positive and practical
approach attitude and setting out effective provisions and measures.
11. The Chinese Government attaches importance to the cause of persons with
disabilities and supports the drafting by the United Nations of a convention on the
rights of persons with disabilities. It intends to do its utmost in the task of
formulating a convention and attaining the goals of equality, participation and
sharing for persons with disabilities.
12. The international community should undertake to cooperate in matters relating
to persons with disabilities on the basis of the principle of experience-sharing and
equal benefit. The developed countries should make allowances for the effects of the
developing countries’ low economic level and the incomplete state of their social
security, and should take concrete steps to provide the developing countries with
support and financial assistance in order to help them successfully solve the
problems of people with disabilities.
13. The common efforts of all countries to advance the cause of persons with
disabilities will make it possible for those persons to share in the world’s material
and cultural achievements.