About the UNCRPD
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 
(UNCRPD) and its Optional Protocol was adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations New York Headquarters and opened for signatures on 30 March 2007.
There were 82 signatories to the Convention, 44 signatories to the Optional Protocol, and 1 ratification of the Convention.
Australia was one of the first countries to sign the CRPD on 30 March 2007 and ratify the CPRD on 17 July 2008.
The UNCRPD aims to enhance opportunities for people with disability to participate in all aspects of social and political life including access to employment, education, health care, information, justice, public transport and the built environment.
For further information and explanation about the UNCRPD visit the links below:
- Department of Social Services : DSS has further explanations of the UNCRPD including videos with Auslan
- United Nations CRPD : UN has details of signatories, accessible PDFs, and multiple languages.
Guiding principles.
Guiding principles
There are eight guiding principles that underlie the Convention and each one of its specific articles:
- Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons
- Non-discriminatiom
- Full and effective participation and inclusion in society
- Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity
- Equality of opportunity
- Accessibility
- Equality between men and women
- Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities.
Compliance
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has responsibility for reporting on Australia's compliance with the UNCRPD auspiced by the Federal Government's Attorney General's Department. You can find out about Australia's responsibilities through the Attorney-General's website .
You can also find recent AHRC submissions to the United Nations on the CRPD on the AHRC website.
Thanks to the Disability Advocacy Resource Unit for this video summarising the UNCRPD.