International Convention on human rights and disability
Full text of Convention
See also U.N. index page for other languages
Latest news
- QAI seminar on implementation 20 August: presentation by Commissioner Innes
- Australia ratifies! (18 July 2008) see also HREOC press release
- Convention enters into force 3 May 2008
- List of countries signing Convention
- List of countries ratifying Convention : Convention reaches 20 ratifications 4 April 2008
Towards ratification by Australia
- Joint Standing Committee on Treaties recommends ratification (19 June 2008) see also Committee media release (MS Word)
- National Interest Analysis supporting ratification by Australia tabled (4 June 2008)
- "Signing up" – Toward Ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Graeme Innes, Deafness Forum Conference, 24 May 2008. - Attorney-General's Department consultation on possible ratification and plain English guide
- Australian Government media release on entry into force of Convention and HREOC media release
- Australian Federation of Disability Organisations Convention page
- Department of Families. Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Convention page
- Australian Coalition for the Ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities including Report on Consultations with Australian representative organisations, disability advisory councils, and the disability legal services network on the impact of ratification of the Convention, March 2008
- HREOC Convention FAQ
- Report of HREOC workshop June 2007 (MS Word) with background paper and Press release by Attorney-General , 28 June 2007
United Nations pages on the Convention
- Main UN index page for the Convention
- Questions and answers on the Convention
- The Convention in brief
- Some facts on disability
- Handbook for parliamentarians on the Convention
Other important United Nations documents
- World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons
- Biwako Millennium Framework and Biwako plus Five (Further efforts towards an inclusive, barrier free and rights based society for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific ): United Nations Economic and Social Council for Aisa and the Pacific
Other resources
- Child friendly version of the Convention
- Ratify Now campaign
- Human rights Yes manual
- DPI ratification toolkit
- Landmine survivors network ratification handbook
- Handicap International Training Kit on Convention
- Harvard Project on Disability including We Have human Rights handbook
History and development of the Convention
- Convention opens for signature (30 March 2007)
- 81 countries plus the European Union sign on first day; Australia among first to sign (see Ministers' press release); see also HREOC press release and speech by NZ minister for Disability
- Convention adopted by General Assembly, December 2006 : see also HREOC press release
August 2006 session
- Advance unedited text of Convention and other documents from the 8th session of the UN General Assembly Working Group, August 2006
- HREOC press release on conclusion of drafting, August 2006
- Daily updates from 8th session, August 2006
January 2006 session
August 2005 session
August 2004 session
- Advance text of report
- Daily summaries (from Landmine Survivors Network)
- Australian government press release
- Comments received prior to 4th session
- Proposals at 4th session
- Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions contribution
- Australian disability community consultations report (MS Word)
May 2004 session
HREOC workshops March 2004
- Notes from Sydney workshop
- Notes from Canberra workshop
- Opening statement for Sydney workshop by Commissioner Ozdowski
- Opening statement for Canberra workshop by Commissioner Ozdowski
- Why we need a disability Convention
Robyn Hunt, Human Rights Commissioner, New Zealand Human Rights Commission Te Kahui Tika Tangata - An Australian perspective: David Mason, Director Disability Rights policy HREOC
- The proposed UN Draft Convention
on the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities: What's in it and what
isn't?
Andrew Byrnes, Faculty of Law, Australian National University - What might a Convention mean for people with disabilities and their societies: Phillip French, People with Disability Australia
- Monitoring issues: Rosemary Kayess, Disability Rights policy HREOC
- A conceptual framework Rosemary Kayess, Disability Rights policy HREOC
HREOC speeches and papers
- The UN Convention, the Rights of People with Disabilities and Domestic Violence, Commissioner Graeme Innes AM, Domestic Violence, Disability and Cultural Safety National Forum, Brighton-Le-Sands, NSW, 8 - 9 November 2007
- The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Michael Small, Senior Policy Officer, Physical Disability Council of Australia forum, Hobart , 24 October 2007
- Education and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Des English Memorial Lecture, Commissioner Graeme Innes AM, Australian Association of Special Education Annual Conference Coogee 28 September 2007
- Towards ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Commissioner Graeme Innes AM, Parliament House, Hobart 20 August 2007
- Commissioner Sev Ozdowski speech to PWD Australia on Convention, 27 November 2004
- Promoting the rights of people with disabilities: Towards a new United Nations Convention
International Workshop for National Human Rights Institutions from the Commonwealth and Asia-Pacific Region New Delhi, 26-29 May 2003: Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Human Rights Commissioner and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner
Other documents and links
- Working group draft text
- Compilation of proposals for elements of a convention
- Australian Government contribution towards draft text and press release (7 January 2004)
- Address by Professor Gerard Quinn on International Day 2003 (MS Word)
- Outcomes of regional workshop, Bangkok, October 2003; see also report to HREOC by Commissioner Ozdowski
- Attorney-General's response to question on Australian position, 12 August 2003
- Attorney-General's press release on Australan delegation to second session
- General Assembly working group decision to proceed with drafting of convention June 2003
- General Assembly resolution A/RES/56/168 on a comprehensive and integral international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities
- Asia-Pacific/Commonwealth National Human Rights Institutions workshop on proposed convention (New Delhi, May 2003)
- Notes from conference on Convention, Disability studies and Research Institute, 21 February 2003
- UNESCAP: Biwako Millennium Framework for Action
- Interregional expert group meeting on international convention on disability rights: Mexico June 11-14 2002; includes draft convention, discussion papers and online discussion options.
- Special Rapporteur report on 3rd mandate 2000-2002
- Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination based on Disability
- US National Council on Disability International Watch committee minutes
- Declaration of world disability NGO summit, Beijing 2000
- "Let the world know" seminar on human rights and disability : Stockholm, November 2000
- Interregional seminar on international norms and standards relating to disability :Hong Kong, December 1999
- UN expert consultative group meeting on international norms and standards relating to disability , 1998