CRPD reviews China's implementation of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) held an online conference, from Aug 17 to 19, to deliberate a report made by the Chinese delegation on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities over the past decade.

Noting that China is always a promoter, supporter and practitioner of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Zhang Haidi, head of the Chinese delegation and vice-director of the National Working Committee on People with Disabilities under the State Council, said in her opening remarks that the country has thoroughly implemented the convention, shown full respect to and strengthened the protection of disabled people's human rights, and has spared no efforts in creating a better life for those with disabilities since it underwent its first review from the CRPD in 2012.

China has enacted over 90 laws and regulations directly related to the protection of the rights and interests of disabled people, set up a subsidy system to help cover the living expenses of disabled people in need and to pay the nursing costs of persons with severe disabilities, expanded the access disabled people have to community and home nursing services, made large strides in the building of barrier-free infrastructure in rural and urban areas, attached great importance to the compulsory and integrated education of disabled children and teenagers, created more opportunities for disabled people to receive rehabilitation services, established rehabilitation and social assistance systems for disabled people, adopted multiple measures to help disabled people find employment and raise their income, and has encouraged disabled people to take part in politics.

Statistics show that the country has lifted 7.1 million disabled people from rural areas out of absolute poverty, provided over 27 million disable people with basic living and nursing care allowances, registered driving licenses for about 430,000 disabled people, enrolled over 10,000 college students per year, and elected more than 6,000 disabled people, their family members and service workers as legislators and political advisers at all levels.

In addition, China has successfully held the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics and ranked first in both the gold count and overall medal count for five consecutive Summer Paralympic Games.

Zhang said that China is home to about 85 million disabled people and that they have encountered lots of difficulties and challenges in their lives, adding that the country will do its utmost to promote the all-round development of disabled people and help them lead happy and dignified lives.

During the review process, the Chinese delegation responded to the questions of the CRPD, who fully affirmed the achievements made by the country in the protection of the rights and interests of disabled people, as well as its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Representatives from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) also attended the deliberation conference.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2006, has become the first systematic international legal code on the protection of the rights of disabled people. The international convention was verified by the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) in June 2008, formally coming into effect in the country in September 2008.