UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is the first human rights convention of the 21st century. The CRPD is an international law that provides guidance to countries on how to meet the human rights of persons with disabilities. The CRPD also has an Optional Protocol, which is another international law that provides a mechanism for individuals and groups, who have exhausted all domestic avenues of redress, to have claims of discrimination heard by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Canada participated in the development of the CRPD at the United Nations. The Federal government included people with disabilities on the Canadian delegation, which worked on drafting the Convention. Steve Estey, Chair of CCD's International Development Committee, and Mary Ennis, then a CCD Vice Chair, participated on different Canadian delegations.

During the Convention's development phase, CCD held community consultations where national disability groups provided input to Federal officials on the content of the CRPD.

Now that the Convention has come into force, CCD monitors the Federal Government's actions on the CRPD.

Recent Work

June 6, 2023

UN Conference of State Parties: Connecting Disability Organizations

The 16th session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP16) will take place at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York, from 13 to 15 June 2023.   Read more.

June 13, 2022

Canadian Civil Society Supports Dr. Laverne Jacobs for the UN Committee on the Rights of People with Disabilities

Dr. Laverne Jacobs is Canada’s first-ever nominated candidate to the UN CRPD Committee. This demonstrates unparalleled commitment and confidence in her nomination by the Government of Canada and highlights the recognition of Dr. Jacob’s intersectional approach and life-long vision to the realization and expansion of international disability rights for all. A law professor at the University of Windsor, Dr. Jacobs has and continues to work to see the evolution of law incorporate the full realization of disability rights. Her work as lead author of the first Canadian disability law textbook ushered in a new, vibrant generation of disability rights scholars. Dr. Jacobs' disability and anti-racism advocacy work advances an intersectional approach to legislation and policymaking, and her work directly led to the creation of the Accessible Canada Act - a landmark federal legislation promising barrier-free access by 2040. These are but a few of her accomplishments. Read more.

June 22, 2021

CCD Applauds Dr. Laverne Jacobs' Candidacy for UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national human rights organization of people with disabilities working for an accessible and inclusive Canada, applauds the Government of Canada’s naming Dr. Laverne Jacobs as a candidate for the 2022 election of members for the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Read more.

More on UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

December 16, 2020

Disability Rights Online

November 6, 2020

Human Rights Training for People with Disabilities by People with Disabilities: Nothing about us without us!

December 21, 2018

Open Letter: Recognizing Two Important Human Rights Milestones of 2018

May 23, 2017

Review of Canada's Accession to the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

December 23, 2016

Canada to Ratify CRPD's Optional Protocol

June 22, 2015

Advocate for Change: Disability/Deaf Issues and the Federal Election

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Archives