Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Australia ratified the Convention on 17 July 2008, making us one of the first Western countries to do so.  By ratifying the Convention, Australia has joined other countries around the world in a global effort to promote the equal and active participation of all people with disability.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol were adopted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 13 December 2006, and entered into force internationally on 3 May 2008.

The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all people with disability, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

Before ratifying the Convention, the Australian Government conducted a National Interest Analysis (NIA) to assess the level of Australia’s compliance with the obligations in the Convention and whether ratification was in the interests of Australia and Australians living with disability.  The NIA recommending Australia ratify the Convention was tabled in the Commonwealth Parliament on 4 June 2008.

The NIA presented the results of consultations with people with disability and their representative organisations, industry stakeholders, States, Territories and the broader community.  It confirmed that Australia complies with all immediately applicable obligations in the Convention, and already substantially implements those obligations that are acknowledged by the Convention as requiring time and resources to fully achieve.

On 19 June 2008, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties—the Parliamentary Committee that considers treaty actions proposed by the Government—tabled its interim report (Report 92) recommending timely ratification of the Convention.  The recommendation followed a public hearing to consider the proposed treaty action on 16 June 2008.

The Australian Government has now commenced the same process to enable it to make an informed decision on whether or not to become party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention.