Disability Convention

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – the first human rights treaty of the 21st Century – came into force on 3 May 2008.

It is estimated that there are at least 650 million people with disabilities worldwide, with around 80 per cent living in developing countries.

The 50-article Convention aims to fight discrimination in relation to a wide range of rights, including the right to education, health, work, adequate living conditions, freedom of movement and freedom from exploitation. It also recognises the capacity of people with disabilities to make decisions for themselves.

National human rights institutions have an important role – set out in article 33 – to promote, protect and monitor the rights of people with disabilities.

This means working in partnership with government, disability groups and the broader community to build understanding of disability issues and to address the structural barriers that lie at the heart of discrimination.

Role of the APF

The APF played an important role in drafting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The APF’s Working Group on Disability was represented by Ms Anuradha Mohit (National Human Rights Commission of India) at the meetings of the UN Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.

In August 2006 the Ad Hoc Committee adopted the draft Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as its Optional Protocol, which was approved by the UN General Assembly on 13 December 2006.

At the 12th Annual Meeting in 2007, APF member institutions agreed to share information, ideas and experiences to assist with domestic implementation of the Convention.

They each agreed to establish a disability ‘focal point’ and to communicate regularly to discuss progress in protecting, promoting and monitoring the rights of people with disabilities.

The APF will also lead the establishment of an international disability rights database, which will, for the first time, provide an internationally comparable source of information on disability and human rights.