Following adoption by consensus of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability by the United Nations' General Assembly yesterday, 13 December 2006, Mr. Raymond TANG, Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) welcomed the achievement and said he looked forward to the early ratification of the Convention by Member States. 
 
"The significance of this landmark Convention is the international recognition of the importance of disability rights, which will be instrumental in intensifying efforts to ensure that the dignity and rights of 650million people with disabilities are acknowledged. In Hong Kong, we have in place a legal framework of preventing discrimination, but this is no cause for complacency, as we are aware that many aspects remain to be addressed before full and equal participation of persons with disability in our society can be achieved," Mr. TANG said.
 
"The implementation of the new Convention will raise a new level of understanding and support for mainstreaming this community among us. Empowering individuals with disabilities not only benefits a certain sector, it also contributes to bringing harmony to the whole society," Mr. TANG concluded.  

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