DILI, 05 august 2021 (TATOLI)-Director of Ra’es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO) Joaozito dos Santos urged the Government of Timor-Leste through the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI) to ratify the International Convention on the Right of Person with Disabilities.
Santos said the purpose of the Convention for Person with disabilities is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights, fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, at the same time to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
“All the Disabled persons in the national territory wish the Government to ratify the international convention for People with disabilities to reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities in Timor-Leste must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Joaozito dos Santos said during the interview with Tatoli reporters at his office Taibesse Dili.
Joaozito explained the convention will provide an uncomplicated way for the Government to put the budget based on the program prepared by the organization of people with disabilities.
“This is the only hope that the RHTO wishes to inform because as if the regulation for a disabled person is ratifying automatically the State and the Government will have the responsibility to put the budged base on the Person with Disabilities program,” he said.
It is recalled that The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) had launched the first public report by a peace-keeping mission on the rights of persons with disabilities which came into force in 2008.
The report covers Timor-Leste’s achievements in fulfilling cultural rights and its efforts to create policies that respect the rights of persons with disabilities to education, healthcare, and community-based rehabilitation.
According to the Report from the UNMIT Women, children and persons with mental disabilities are the most vulnerable to discrimination based on disability.
Therefore UNMIT recommends the government take urgent action to protect these groups at high risk and to raise awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities.
Until today Timor-Leste has not yet ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, however, the Government has been planning on ratifying the Convention by 2022.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
