International treaties on Human rights and disability Previous module Next module

Persons with disabilities should in theory enjoy all Human rights already recognized in the various international conventions. These texts are applicable to everybody, including persons with disabilities.
Several texts relating specifically to persons with disabilities had already been adopted by the UN General Assembly. But these texts were not sufficient to ensure the effective respect of rights of disabled persons. Therefore the UN members decided to draft a convention specific to the rights of persons with disabilities.

This paper provides information on:

The INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES relevant to persons with disabilities.
The role played by the STANDARD RULES on the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities, in spite of their non legally binding nature.
The INEFFECTIVENESS of international texts for persons with disabilities.
The reasons which led to the drafting of the NEW CONVENTION.

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Relevant documents

Universal declaration of Human rights

Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

Optional protocol to the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

Link : Signatures and ratifications of the Convention
http://www.un.org/disabilities/

Human rights and disability - The current use and future potential of United Nations human rights instruments in the context of disability - Gerard Quinn et Theresia Degener HCHR

Link : The Special Rapporteur on Disability of the Commission for Social Development
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rapporteur.htm

4th Global Survey on the implementation of the Standard Rules (October 2006)

Texts directly linked with disability

Standard rules of equalization of opportunities

Supplement to standard rules

4th Global Survey on the implementation of the Standard Rules (October 2006)

International covenant on civil and political rights

Optional protocol to the covenant on civil and political rights

Optional protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty

International covenant on economic, social and cultural rights

General comment number 3 on nature of State parties' obligations

General comment number 5 on persons with disabilities

Convention on the rights of the child

Optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict

Optional protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography

Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women

Optional protocol on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women

Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination

Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

Optional protocol against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment