Committee for disabled created
The Prime Minister has signed a decision to establish a National Committee for Vietnamese Persons with Disabilities.
Vietnam is home to about 6.7 million people with disabilities, accounting for 7.8% of its population.
Under the decision, the Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will serve as chairperson of the committee, while the ministry's Deputy Minister will serve as vice chairperson.
The committee is responsible for helping the Prime Minister coordinate efforts between ministries, sectors and localities pertaining to issues faced by people with disabilities.
Specifically, it studies and proposes annual and five-year plans on disability affairs, while intensifying international cooperation in this field, promoting the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, and inspecting the implementation of the Law for the Disabled and other related policies.
The committee includes deputy ministers from 11 departments, ranging from justice to health to education and training. It also includes leaders of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Vietnam Federation on Disability, the Vietnamese Women's Union, the Association for the Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans, the Vietnam Blind Association and the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will serve as the committee's permanent office.