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Disability Disability Rights

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United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is the first binding international human rights instrument to explicitly address disability.  

The implementation of the CRPD by State Parties is overseen by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Committee). As a State Party, Australia is assessed by the Committee in relation to its obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of people with disability.  

State Parties are required to submit regular reports to the Committee on how they are implementing the rights of people with disability. The Committee will consider the report from the State Party and publish its concerns and recommendations in the Concluding Observations. Australia has submitted two reports to the Committee in 2013 and 2019 and in response the Committee has published two Concluding Observations in the same years. 

The role of the Australian Human Rights Commission 

The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) is the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) in Australia. The Commission has a legal mandate to protect and promote human rights in an independent manner.  

As the NHRI, the Commission provides independent advice to the Committee on the implementation of the CRPD in Australia. The Commission provided the Committee with independent reports on Australia’s compliance with the CRPD in 2013 and 2019. These reports also contained recommendations for the Australian Government, some of which were included by the Committee in its Concluding Observations.  

The Disability Discrimination Commissioner also attends the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to represent the rights of Australians with disability. Most recently Dr Ben Gauntlett addressed the General Debate at the Conference of State Parties regarding the importance of accessible technology for people with disability.  

Engagement with National Human Rights Institutions  

The Commission engages with other National Human Rights Institutions to explore and progress human rights concerns, including those relating to the CRPD. Currently the Commission is a member of the following bodies:  

  • Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions  

  • Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions  

  • Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions 

The Commission and Disability Discrimination Commissioner continue to work with other international bodies to progress and protect the rights of people with disability.  

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