YANGON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar held a two-day workshop in the capital Nay Pyi Taw to draft a national strategy for people with disabilities, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said on Thursday.
At the two-day which ended on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Soe Aung stressed the need to clearly map sector-wise tasks in the national strategy by taking the Enabling Master Plan of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan into consideration.
He called for linking the draft strategy with the Sustainable Goals-2030, the national-level strategy for social welfare, and rules and bylaws of the related ministries.
He also emphasized the need for the strategy to guarantee people with disabilities easy access to six priority sectors including health, education, jobs and social welfare and assistance when they face disaster and other emergency situation.
The draft strategy is targeted to be completed by December.
Meanwhile, the government pledged to promote the rights for the disabled in the country, stressing the importance to create job opportunities to enable them to live with dignity and independence.
Vice President U Henry Van Thio, who is also chairman of the National Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (NCRPD), promised provision of human rights for people with disabilities such as participating in politics and people's affairs, access to healthcare, businesses, culture, information, living independently in the society, equality and development in all sectors.
The government has also launched rehabilitation of schools, special education programs and other social integration schemes involving intensive care, harm-free environment, public awareness campaign in the interest of the disabled.
There were 2.3 million people with disabilities in Myanmar, around 4.6 percent of the population.
Myanmar became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 7, 2011, and enacted the Disability Rights Law in June 2015, followed by the formation of the NCRPD in September 2017.
