United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has 50 parts, and it’s about making sure people with disability are treated fairly and have the same freedoms as everyone else.
Australia has agreed to follow the UNCRPD. Australia needs to tell the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities about how it is delivering the UNCRPD. You can learn more about this on the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner website.
How Australia is following the UNCRPD
Australia has incorporated the UNCRPD into its laws and programs at all levels of government, including:
- the Disability Discrimination Act 1992
- the Disability Services Act 1986
- the Disability Services and Inclusion Bill 2023 (replacing the Disability Services Act 1986)
- Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031
- the Supporting participation by representatives of people with disability in key international forums on human rights program
- the International Day of People with Disability program.
The Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Social Services have a plan that explains how Australian Government incorporates the UNCRPD into its laws and programs. You can read the Joint Statement.
Australia at the Conference of States Parties to the UNCRPD
There’s an important meeting each year called the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the UNCRPD. It is a meeting between different countries, about the rights of people with disability.
People from the Australian government, and groups which represent people with disability, go to this meeting.
The next meeting is from 11-13 June 2024. To learn about how Australian groups get help to go to important meetings, visit the Australian Human Rights Commission website.
You can read about the previous event.
Last updated: