UNITED NATIONS, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities took effect Saturday, ushering in a new era in protecting the rights of the world's 650 million people with disabilities.

The convention, the first new human rights treaty of the 21st century, has been signed by 127 countries since March 30, 2007 and ratified by 25 countries. The convention needed ratification of 20countries to be effective.

Jamaica was the first country to ratify the convention, and on April 3, Ecuador ratified it, providing the sufficient number of parties for the convention to enter into force.

Along with the convention, an Optional Protocol that allows individuals and groups to petition for relief also took effect Saturday.

In a statement issued immediately after the ratification of Ecuador, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the convention "a powerful tool to eradicate the obstacles faced by persons with disabilities."

"It is a historic moment in our quest for realization of the universal human rights for all persons, creating a fully inclusive society for all," Ban said in the statement.

The convention itself does not create any new rights. Rather, it aims to ensure that the benefits of existing rights are fully extended and guaranteed to the world's estimated 650 million people with disabilities.

By ratifying the convention, which was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2006 along with its Optional Protocol, states commit themselves to enacting laws and other measures to improve disability rights and also abolish legislation, customs and practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities.

To mark the convention's entry into force, the United Nations will hold a special ceremony in the General Assembly Hall in New York on May 12, with participants from governments, UN agencies and civil society.