United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) is an international human rights treaty. Its objective is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and freedoms by all people with disability.

The Australian Government ratified (signed) the UN CRPD in 2008, and it entered into force for Australia on 16 August 2009.

Responsibility for ensuring the rights of people with disability is shared by Federal and State and Territory Governments.

The Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Social Services work together to promote and monitor implementation of the UN CRPD, as outlined here: Joint Statement.

Implementing the UN CRPD

The Department of Social Services is responsible for a wide range of disability related policies and programs that support the UN CRPD, including Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031, NDIS policy, International Day of People with Disability, pensions and payments and disability employment services.

Further information on our policies and programs can be found here: Disability and Carers | Department of Social Services, Australian Government (dss.gov.au)

Access to disability services and supports can be found here: Welcome to the Disability Gateway | Disability Gateway

The Australian Government is also working with States and Territories and the disability community to implement reforms that address the findings and recommendations in the Final report of the Royal Commission into Violence Abuse Neglect and Exploitation of people with Disability and the Final report of the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This work is directly relevant to the implementation of the UN CRPD.

Several laws support Australia to implement its obligations under the UN CRPD including the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023 and National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

Monitoring and Reporting on the UN CRPD

Countries that sign the UN CRPD are asked to report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Committee) on how the rights of people with disability are being implemented. Reporting dates are set by the Committee.

The Committee provides feedback to countries on their reports. In 2019 the Committee provided Australia with recommendations for improvement (concluding observations) in the following Report.

Annual Conference

The UN hosts an annual conference about the UN CRPD called the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD. It takes place every June at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States of America.

People who go to the conference include:

  • governments
  • people with disability
  • groups that represent people with disability
  • national human rights institutions

The next conference is the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD and will be held from 10 to 12 June 2025.

Supporting Participation Program

The Australian Government’s Supporting Participation Program helps people with disability in Australia to go to international conferences. The conferences must be about human rights and approved by the Australian Government. This includes the Conference of States Parties.

Information about activities under the Supporting Participation Program for 2025 will be available soon.

Details on previous activities funded under the Supporting Participation Program are available here:

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