Paper on disabled signed

By ALISON ANIS
PNG  has signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) but has yet to ra­tify it.
Ratification will pave the way for the implementation process of the rights of people with disabilities in the country, key people involved in disability programmes said.
PNG Association of Disabled Persons chairman Ipul Powaseu said the signing took place at the beginning of the month.
“PNG signed on the CRPD on June 2 and that is a great step in recognition of people with disabilities,” Powaseu said.
PNG ambassador to the United Nations Robert Aisi signed the convention on behalf of the go­vernment with the official ceremony published on the UN website.
Department for Community Development secretary Joseph Klapat has refuted claims by the Na­tional Board for Disabled Persons chairman Brown Kapi in the media last week that nothing had been done to sign and ratify the convention.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs sent a letter dated May 9 to Ambassador Aisi following the preparations of the instruments for signing.”
He said the department had yet to receive confir­mation in writing.
National Advisory Committee on Disability executive officer Adrian Winnie said the National Executive Council had approved without reservation in January the ratification of CRDP, adding the NEC had directed the departments of Foreign Affairs Department and Justice and Attorney-General to prepare the instruments for that.
The K8 million Australian government funding for the CRDP will be drawn down after the CRPD is signed.