The UN CRPD
The inclusion of people with disabilities in development is legally underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The CRPD is an international human rights treaty which recognises that all people with disabilities have the same human rights as every other person across all spheres of life, and should be included in all aspects of society. The CRPD consists of 50 Articles, which cover a wide range of rights and issues related to people with disabilities.
The CRPD also establishes a comprehensive framework of legal obligations for States Parties to progressively achieve disability rights, and highlights the concrete actions required. specifically on the concrete actions that States Parties must take to implement the rights outlined in the CRPD Articles. Article 32 of the CRPD also obliges governments who are donors of development aid to ensure that that all of their actions within the framework of international cooperation, including development programs, are inclusive of and accessible to people with disabilities.
Resources in this section provide guidance to understand the content within the CRPD, and to support States Parties and donors to understand and progressively achieve their obligations.
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2016) Report on the rights of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making
This report by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities calls for necessity of strong participation mechanisms to facilitate better policies and services, and more effective governance for people with disabilities.
UNCRPD Committee (2018) General Comment on Participation of persons with disabilities through their representative organisations in the implementation and monitoring of the Convention
This legal guidance, issued as General Comment No. 7, upholds the right of all persons with disabilities to participate and be involved in all issues relating to them.
UN Special Rapporteur on Disability (2016) Report on disability-inclusive policies
This report explains the economic case for disability-inclusive policies, and provides evidence on the cost that comes with excluding people with disabilities from development.
United Nations (2007) – Easy Read UN CRPD
This is an Easy Read resource to understand what the United Nations CRPD is. It uses simple English with pictures to understand how the CRPD upholds rights for people with disabilities.
Handicap International (2010) Understanding The UN Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities
This manual is a tool for explaining the content of the CRPD and provides detailed information on what occurred during the negotiation and drafting process.
Disability Rights Fund (2011) Beyond charity: A donor’s guide to inclusion. Disability funding in the era of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
This resource provides guidance to donors on promoting disability rights through international cooperation from a human rights perspective, based on the UNCRPD.
