Creating a fairer Britain
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is the first human rights treaty of the 21st Century, re-affirming disabled people's human rights and signalling a further major step in disabled people's journey to becoming full and equal citizens.
On 8 June 2009 the UK Government ratified the Convention signalling its commitment to take concrete action to comply with the legal rights and obligations contained in the Convention. The Government has also ratified the Convention’s ‘Optional Protocol’. See our statement 'Commissions call for fresh impetus on delivering disability rights'.
New (July 2010): To find out what the UNCRPD means for disabled people, read our guide to the Convention.
The disability Convention requires governments to designate one or more 'independent mechanisms' to 'promote, protect and monitor implementation' of the Convention.
The Commission, which is Britain's National Human Rights Institution, has been designated alongside the Scottish Human Rights Commission, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Northern Ireland Equality Commission to fulfil this role in UK.
For more about the what the Commission will be doing to support the Convention
The Convention reaffirms that disabled people have human rights and that they should be able to enjoy them on an equal basis with non-disabled people. It recognises that disabled people continue to face a wide range of barriers to realising their human rights in practice and sets out the measures governments are expected to take to remove them and to ensure the rights of disabled people are protected.
Other human rights treaties, such as conventions on the rights of the child and against all forms of discrimination against women have had a major effect in addressing human rights violations around the world.
The active participation of disabled people and their organisations, both independently and in collaboration with the Commission, is critical to making the Convention a success. The Commission is committed to working with disabled people and exploring with disability stakeholders how we can work together most effectively.
In spring 2010 we will publish a guide for disabled people and their organisations on the practical benefits of the Convention in everyday life.
Britain has ratified the 'Optional Protocol of the UN Convention. This will allow people to bring a petition to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities if they believe that their Convention rights have been breached and they have exhausted means of redress via the UK or European Courts. This step will also give the relevant UN Committee authority to undertake inquiries, when reliable information is received into allegations of grave or systematic violations of Convention rights.
The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by disabled people. The Convention covers a number of key areas. These include health, education, employment, access to justice, personal security independent living and access to information. Read more detail on the Articles in the Convention.
Read the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN site)
Read the UN Convention in plain language (UN site)
Read the UN Convention in Easy Read format (Pdf)
For a step by step guide to the Convention see:
Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN site)
Read Making Rights a Reality; Implementing the UN Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities (Pdf) | Word version
If you have any information you want to give us about the convention or have any questions about the work we’re doing (example guidance we’re providing), please contact us at UNCRPD@equalityhumanrights.com .