International disability rights

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) is an international agreement about human rights for people with disability. It aims to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and freedoms by all people with disability.

The Australian Government agreed to the UN CRPD in 2008 and officially started in Australia on 16 August 2009. Australian and state and territory governments work together to make sure the rights of people with disability are protected.

View Auslan videos explaining the UN CRPD.

Implementation

We work with the Attorney-General’s Department to promote and monitor how of the UN CRPD is put into action. The Australian Government Implementation of Article 33 of the CRPD outlines how we do this.

A wide range of disability related policies and programs support the UN CRPD, including:

• Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Policy
• International Day of People with Disability
• Disability Representative Organisations
• Employment services for people with disability

Australian and state and territory governments work with the disability community on reforms from the following reports. This work helps Australia carry out the UN CRPD.

• Final report of the Royal Commission into Violence Abuse Neglect and Exploitation of people with Disability
• Final report of the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Several laws support Australia to implement its obligations under the UN CRPD:

• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Disability Services and Inclusion Act 2023
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

Monitoring and reporting

Countries that agree to the UN CRPD report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The committee monitors how the rights of people with disability are being implemented and provides feedback to countries on their reports. Reporting dates are set by the committee.

Read the 2019 the committee’s recommendations for Australia’s improvement in the 2019 Concluding Observations Report.

Annual conference

The UN hosts an annual conference about the UN CRPD called the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD. It takes place every June at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States of America (USA).

People who go to the conference include:

• governments
• people with disability
• organisations that represent people with disability
• national human rights institutions

The 19th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN CRPD (COSP19) will be held from 9 to 11 June 2026.

Supporting Participation Program

The Government’s Supporting Participation Program helps Australian people with disability participate in international conferences. The conferences must be about human rights and approved by the Government. This is a part of Australia’s compliance with the UN CRPD. 

In 2025-26, we expect to contribute funding to support people with disability to participate at COSP19.