Activity
Within the framework of the cooperation between UNDP in Vietnam and ACDC, sponsored by the Embassy of Norway, the consultation workshop on "Monitoring the implementation of Article 27 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the field of employment in Vietnam" was held on 5 April 2021 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The program was attended by Ms. Grete Lochen - Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam; Ms. Diana Torest Assistant Head of Representative and Head of Management and Participation in UNDP Vietnam; Mr. Tran Ngoc Tu - Vice Chairman of The Orange Victims Association, Chairman of The Association of Victims of Orange Poison Dioxin in Ho Chi Minh City; Ms. Dang Huynh Mai - President of Vietnam Association for Persons with Disabilities; Mr. Dang Van Thanh - Standing Vice Chairman of Vietnam Association for Persons with Disabilities; Ms. Vo Hoang Yen - Deputy Head of Vietnam Association for Persons with Disabilities, Founder and Director of Center for Disability and Development (DRD); Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Huong - Office of Employers, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Ho Chi Minh City; and representatives of organizations of and for persons with disabilities, businesses and news agencies.
Opening the workshop, Ms. Grete Lochen - Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam gave a welcome speech online. Ms. Dang Huynh Mai – President of the Vietnam Association for Persons with Disabilities also shared about the importance of employment and vocational training for persons with disabilities, the access of stakeholders.
Globally, Covid-19 has caused the risk of job loss and difficulty re-entering the labor market for millions of persons with disabilities. In Vietnam, there are more than 6.2 million persons with disabilities and they are among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. UNDP's rapid assessment of the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on persons with disabilities shows that 30% of persons with disabilities lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly 50% experienced reduced hours and nearly 60% had their pay cut. Therefore, recovering and living with Covid-19 gives Viet Nam the opportunity to build a better future, by strengthening protection for persons with disabilities and creating opportunities for persons with disabilities to increase their contribution to the country's recovery efforts.
These are also the messages given in the presentation of the 2020 UNDP employment assessment report as well as the sharing of businesses recruiting persons with disabilities. Especially, the seminar was led by Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh with the participation of 02 enterprises: Enable Code - employment enterprise 4.0 and Saitex - textile and garment enterprises have made reasonable adjustments to ensure that persons with disabilities can work in departments.
In addition, in her sharing, Ms. Diana Torres, UNDP Resident Assistant In Viet Nam emphasized: "By working together to protect the employment rights of persons with disabilities, we are taking practical actions to "Leave no one behind" towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the Sustainable Development Goal No. 8 (SDG8) on Promoting sustainable, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, creating adequate jobs, productivity and satisfactory work for all.
Persons with disabilities are definitely the drivers on this journey. No one else can replace their important role. They are the factors that create positive change by raising awareness of an inclusive working environment for persons with disabilities."
In particular, in the second half of the workshop, under the online guidance of Ms. Risna Utami, Member of the United Nations Commission on Persons with Disabilities and the Executive Committee of Ms. Vo Thi Hoang Yen – Founder and Director of the Center for Disability and Development (DRD), units of and for the person who has been given a closer discussion on employment with persons with disabilities according to the United Nations model index with 3 levels as a commitment index in the context of Viet Nam's ratification of the 2015 convention; current employment-to-disability employment indicators through national target programs; current employment policies and monitoring indicators and results.
Based on the indicators set out, UNDP and its local partners will work together to ensure that the employment index follows Viet Nam's commitment to the United Nations when it ratified the 2015 convention.
