ANNUAL REPORT 2015 H. Chairperson’s statement on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities At the UN General Assembly in 1992, the UN designated December 3rd as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and announced that the international community would work together to: 1. ‌promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities; and 2. ‌increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life. The ROK put in place a range of legislations related to the disabled, laying an institutional foundation to ensure the human rights of people with disability and prevent discrimination against them. Most recently, we implemented the Act on the Protection of Rights and Support for People with Developmental Disabilities, which contains provisions to ensure the right to selfdetermination of people with developmental disability, supportive tools for their communication, and measures to promote their participation in and integration within the society. However, the Commission continues to receive complaints related to discrimination against the disabled (1,340 cases in 2012, 1,334 cases in 2013, and 1,153 cases in 2014), accounting for more than 50% of all discrimination-related complaints accepted by the Commission annually. These cases witness: (1) violence and abuse against the disabled who reside in facilities, (2) bullying against students with disability, (3) lack of access to information and public facilities including transportation, (4) public transportation operators who refuse to allow guide dogs for the blind in, and (5) discrimination concerning disability rating upon employment. Therefore, the Chairperson announced a statement on December 3rd, celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, to call on all members of the society to engage in more active efforts to root out discrimination against the disabled and violation of their human rights. I. ‌Chairperson’s statement to welcome the ROK to chair the UN Human Rights Council At the UN Human Rights Council meeting held at the UN Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 7th, the ROK was elected to chair the council for the first time since its membership in the UN. As a result, Ambassador Choi Kyong-Lim, who headed the country’s permanent mission in Geneva, Switzerland, was appointed as the chairperson of the council 40 | National Human Rights Commission of Korea