The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is a key international human rights treaty, which transforms people with disabilities into “rights holders” and “subjects of law” – able to participate fully in all aspects of social, political, economic and cultural life. Although Vietnam ratified CRPD in 2014, implementation has been uneven across the country. To improve the knowledge of provincial authorities and share implementation best practices, USAID recently hosted two trainings for 150 Vietnamese government officials from every province in Vietnam. Participants learned how to include support for persons with disabilities in their local socio-economic plans, how to finance implementation, and overall actions to improve CRPD enforcement.

So What? Promotion of CRPD enforcement in Vietnam will promote equality and inclusion for persons with disabilities, provide the support they need, and advance disability rights throughout the country.