BRUSSELS, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Union will sign a United Nations convention on disability rights in New York Friday, the treaty's opening day for signature, said the European Commission.

    The convention aims to ensure that people with disabilities, 50 million in the EU and 650 million worldwide, enjoy the same human rights and fundamental freedoms as everyone else.

    "This convention recognizes at an international level that disability is a human rights issue," said Vladimir Spidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

    It is the first time the EU as a whole has signed a core UN human rights convention. Its executive body, the European Commission, will sign on behalf of the bloc. The EU member states will also sign it individually.

    "It is a success for the EU as it reflects all the core elements of our disability strategy: anti-discrimination, equal opportunities and active inclusion," Spidla said.

    "It also shows that Europe is at the forefront of strengthening rights for people with disabilities worldwide and is an important achievement in the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All."

    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.