UNITED NATIONS - Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya on Friday signed a new human rights treaty, a major international agreement recognizing the rights of the disabled.

China's Permanent Representative to the UN Wang Guangya (2nd from left) signed a landmark UN convention protecting the rights of the world's 650 million disabled on Friday, March 30, 2007. Eighty countries plus the European Commission signed the treaty on Friday. [Xinhua]

Over 80 states signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to indicate their resolution to protect the rights of the world's 650 million persons with disabilities.

Administrative Vice President of China Disabled Persons' Federation, Lu Shiming, attended the signing ceremony. He said China values the rights of its 82.96 million people with disabilities and has contributed to the signing of the convention.

China is willing to enhance friendly exchange and cooperation with other countries and help improve the situations of the disabled worldwide, Lu said.

The convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 13, 2006. The treaty, which will enter into force when it is ratified by 20 countries, is the first comprehensive human rights convention to be adopted this century.

It follows long-standing efforts by disability organizations and an increasing international recognition that existing UN human rights treaties failed to fully protect people with disabilities.