UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 13, 2006, and entered into force in 2008. It is the first binding international human rights treaty focused on disability. Developed with extensive input from disabled people's organisations, it operationalises the principle "Nothing About Us Without Us."
What is the CRPD?
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is a legally binding international human rights instrument. It was adopted at the United Nations in New York on December 13, 2006, and opened for signature in March 2007. It entered into force on May 3, 2008, after ratification by 20 states.
As of 2024, the CRPD has been ratified by 185 countries — making it one of the most widely ratified UN human rights conventions. The Optional Protocol, which allows individual communications and inquiries, has been adopted by 105 countries. Notably, the United States has signed but not ratified the CRPD.
Key Principles
The CRPD is grounded in the social model of disability — understanding disability as arising from the interaction between impairment and barriers in the environment and society. Its principles include:
- Respect for inherent dignity and individual autonomy
- Non-discrimination
- Full and effective participation and inclusion in society
- Respect for difference and acceptance of disability as part of human diversity
- Equality of opportunity
- Accessibility
- Equality between men and women
- Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities
Major Provisions
Key articles address: equal recognition before the law and legal capacity (Article 12); liberty and security (Article 14); freedom from torture and cruel treatment (Article 15); living independently and being included in the community (Article 19); accessibility (Article 9); education (Article 24); health (Article 25); work and employment (Article 27); and participation in political and public life (Article 29).
Article 12 — on equal recognition before the law — has been particularly significant and contested. It affirms that people with disabilities have legal capacity on an equal basis with others and requires states to provide access to support in exercising that capacity, shifting from substituted decision-making (guardianship) toward supported decision-making.
"Nothing About Us Without Us"
The CRPD process was itself a landmark in disability rights participation. Disabled people's organisations (DPOs) participated extensively in the negotiation of the convention's text — an unprecedented level of civil society involvement in international human rights treaty-making. The principle "Nothing About Us Without Us" — that disabled people must be centrally involved in decisions that affect them — was both a demand of the process and a principle embedded in the final text.
Legacy
The CRPD has transformed disability rights globally. It has influenced domestic legislation in dozens of countries, shaped court decisions, and provided a framework for advocates worldwide to challenge discriminatory laws and practices. Its implementation is monitored by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which reviews state reports and issues recommendations.