Luanda — Angola's adhesion to the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability is intended to fulful another goal of the Executive's Governance Programme, designed particularly to integrate and improve the living condition of this vulnerable group of the society.

This was said Tuesday by Angolan minister of Social Welfare, João Baptista Kussumua, while speaking to MPs on the adhesion of Angola to the Convention, during a plenary session of the National Assembly, chaired by the Parliament speaker Fernando da Piedade dos Santos.

The minister said that by so doing, the country reaffirms its desire to adopt the legislative, administrative and financial mechanisms required for social integration, specialised technical and professional training, to promote greater and better integration of people with disability into active life and society.

João Baptista Kussumua said that, under the Convention, adopted by the UN on 30 March 2007, the State is required to recognise the rights of this group to an adequate living standard for themselves and their families and ensure their participation in politics, public, cultural and sports activities on an equal footing with others.

He explained that the Convention binds the member States to adopting measures and programmes taking into consideration the fragility of women and children with disabilities. The Conventions also stipulates easier access to physical means, transportation, information and communication facilities.

The States, according to the minister, are bound to promote effective access to justice, training of experts, prevention against torture and inhuman treatment, cruel punishment, exploitation, violence and abuse. The minister highlighted the fact that, internally, Angola has already approved instruments that seek to give greater dignity to this group of the population.