UNCRPD (2014) General Comment No. 1 – Article 12 : Equal recognition before the law

General Comment No. 1 of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities clarifies the obligations of States parties under Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which ensures that people with disabilities have the right equal recognition before the law. It clarifies that the in order to implement a human rights-based approach to disability, States should promote supported decision-making in which persons with disabilities enjoy full recognition and equality under the law and can exercise their legal capacity to make fundamental decisions about their own lives. It provides recommendations for States to assist their implementation of Article 12 of the CRPD.