The National Council adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Charter today. All the 23 members present in the House voted in favour of both the Charter and the Convention.
The National Council adopted all 50 articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The chairperson of the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee said that besides ensuring that people living with disabilities enjoy equal rights to education, health and other services, the convention will help in getting support and building relations with the UN member countries.
“The adoption of the convention would enable persons with disabilities to have access to fundamental rights, health and education, economic independence and civil and political rights,” said Tshering Tshomo, Chairperson of the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee.
Bhutan will be the 187th country to ratify the convention out of 193 member countries.
Similarly, the House also adopted the BIMSTEC Charter. The National Assembly adopted the Charter during the summer session and was forwarded to the National Council for deliberation during this session.
The BIMSTEC was established in 1997 but Bhutan became a member only in 2004. The Member States of BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Currently, only three member states have ratified the Charter. The Charter will be effective after 30 days of signing of the ratification by all seven members.
Both the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the BIMSTEC Charter will be submitted to His Majesty The King for Royal Assent.
Tashi Yangden/Tashi Dekar
Edited by Tshering Zam
