Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006. It is the first legally binding international human rights convention to specifically address the human rights of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities from around the world participated in its drafting, as representatives of government, civil society and national human rights institutions. The CRPD therefore reflects the actual experience of persons with disabilities and covers civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. In addition, the CRPD underscores that persons with disabilities very often live in poverty. As a consequence, the CRPD emphasizes State obligations in the area of international cooperation. It sets forth the principle that development programmes must be inclusive of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.

The basic structure and major components of the CRPD are set forth in the sections that follow.