Screenshot of Zhang Haidi attending the round-table session of the COSP 14 [photo/cdpf.org.cn]
Zhang Haidi, chairperson of the China Disabled Persons' Federation attended the 14th session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) via video link on June 17 and delivered a keynote speech at the roundtable discussions on "Living independently and being included in the community."
Zhang introduced China's experiences and achievements in helping the disabled to live independently and be included in society.
China incorporates disability affairs in its overall planning of economic and social development and guarantees their right of basic rehabilitation.
A national-level university on rehabilitation sciences is under construction in order to incubate high-quality rehabilitation talents. Also, barrier-free environment construction is being proactively carried out, and over 7 million registered persons with disabilities in China have been lifted out of poverty.
Projects and initiatives concerning the survival and development of disabled women have also been carried out through collaborations with international agencies such as the ESCAP, UN Women and Rehabilitation International.
She called for creating a post-pandemic cooperation mechanism for the international community to facilitate scientific innovation and international exchanges in a bid to realize the independent living of the disabled and the goals set by the CRPD.
During the interactive event following the session, Zhang held in-depth exchanges with other participants on the construction of China's University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and other matters.
The COSP 14 was held with a mix of in-person meetings and video meetings from June 15 to 17, at the UN headquarters in New York city, the United States. It was composed of the opening, the general debates and three round-table sessions.