National Action Plan published

Finland has published for the first time a National Action Plan on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The action plan will implement the UN convention that entered into force in summer 2016 with the view to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities and to improve their opportunities for participation, said an official press release.

The objective of the action plan is to raise awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities and to take account of their rights in all activities in the different administrative branches and in the society at large.

Accessibility, availability and participation are essential for implementing the rights of persons with disabilities.

“Everyone is entitled to the basic and human rights. However, there are groups of people who cannot use these rights until particular attention is paid to the implementation of these rights and special measures are carried out to secure the rights. Persons with disabilities form one such group. Therefore, we need the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as national actions,” said Minister of Social

Affairs and Health Pirkko Mattila at the launching ceremony of the National Action Plan on the UN Convention on Tuesday.

The action plan contains 82 measures that the ministries are committed to implement. Part of the measures will be implemented during the current government’s term of office. Some measures would take a longer time to carry out.

The minister said there is much room for improvement in the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities.

“Work and an adequate income are in a key position when we think about the opportunities of people with disabilities to live independently and to participate. I find it very important that work should always be economically profitable. We must remove people’s fear that their income will weaken if they start workig,” said Mattila.