International disability rights

Australia is one of over 190 countries or states committed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities(Opens in a new tab/window) (UN CRPD) is an international human rights treaty. It aims 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 (agreed to) the UN CRPD in 2008 and it entered into force for Australia on 16 August 2009. Australian and state and territory governments share responsibility for ensuring the rights of people with disability.

View Auslan videos explaining the UN CRPD.

Implementation

We work with the Attorney-General’s Department to promote and monitor implementation of the UN CRPD. The Australian Government Implementation of Article 33 of the CRPD(Opens in a new tab/window) outlines how we do this.

A wide range of disability related policies and programs support the UN CRPD, including:

• Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031(Opens in a new tab/window)
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Policy(Opens in a new tab/window)
• International Day of People with Disability(Opens in a new tab/window)
• Disability Representative Organisations
• Employment services for people with disability

Australian and state and territory governments work with the disability community on reforms from the following reports. This work is relevant to the implementation of the UN CRPD.

• Final report of the Royal Commission into Violence Abuse Neglect and Exploitation of people with Disability(Opens in a new tab/window)
• Final report of the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme(Opens in a new tab/window).

Several laws support Australia to implement its obligations under the UN CRPD:

• Disability Discrimination Act 1992(Opens in a new tab/window)
• Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023(Opens in a new tab/window)
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013(Opens in a new tab/window).

Monitoring and reporting

Countries that ratify the UN CRPD report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities(Opens in a new tab/window). The committee monitors how the rights of people with disability are being implemented and provides feedback to countries on their reports. Reporting dates are set by the committee.

Read the 2019 the committee’s recommendations for Australia’s improvement in the 2019 Concluding Observations Report(Opens in a new tab/window).

Annual conference

The UN hosts an annual conference about the UN CRPD called the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD(Opens in a new tab/window). It takes place every June at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States of America (USA).

People who go to the conference include:

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

The 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD (COSP18) will be held from 10 to 12 June 2025.

Supporting Participation Program

The Government’s Supporting Participation Program helps Australian people with disability participate in international conferences. The conferences must be about human rights and approved by the Government.

In 2024-25, people with disability can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for funding to go to:

• 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), UN Headquarters, New York, USA, 10 to 21 March 2025
• COSP18, UN Headquarters, New York, USA, 10 to 12 June 2025.

Funding for CSW69 is included this year. This is to support people with disability to contribute to deliberations on intersectional issues that impact them.

We contribute funding, and the Australian Human Rights Commission manages the EOI process. Applications can be made by organisations with UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Consultative Status(Opens in a new tab/window). For COSP18, organisations can have COSP accreditation.

Visit the Australian Human rights Commission website to learn more about the Supporting Participation EOI process and how to apply(Opens in a new tab/window).