On September 24, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on behalf of the Russian Federation signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the UN headquarters as part of the 63rd UNGA treaty event timed for the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The instrument of ratification by Russia of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict was then deposited with the UN Secretary General as the depositary.

Attending the signing ceremony along with officials were representatives from the All-Russia Society of the Deaf, V. N. Rukhledev and V. V. Ivanchenko.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the first international human rights treaty developed and adopted by the UN in the 21st century. The very fact of signing this document is evidence of the close attention that is being paid in the Russian Federation to ensuring a decent standard and quality of living for the disabled, their rehabilitation and integration into society. That’s the underlying approach of the Convention.

The ratification by the Russian Federation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict is another proof of our commitment to complete observance of the rights of underage citizens, comprehensive care for whom is one of the priorities of the policy pursued by the Russian leadership.