United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is the first international, legally binding instrument setting minimum standards for rights of people with disabilities, and the first human rights convention to which the EU has become a party.

The UN Convention says that persons with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else. It also tells how countries can protect these rights.

For the EU, the convention entered into force on 22 January 2011. All EU Member States have signed and ratified the convention. This means that every EU country must protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

23 EU countries have also signed and ratified its optional protocol (June 2025). The optional protocol establishes an individual complaints mechanism for the Convention.

The EU is required to promote, protect and implement the UNCRPD in matters falling under the EU's competence. The European Commission coordinates the implementation of the Convention at EU level.

The EU’s Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 covers all areas of the UN Convention.

Reporting to the United Nations

Parties to the convention need to periodically inform the UN committee on the rights of persons with disabilities about the measures taken to implement it. The EU has also reported to the UN:

first report to the UN on the EU's application of the Convention (June 2014)
response to UN review of the EU's implementation of the convention (June 2015)
dialogue with the UN in Geneva and recommendations for follow-up. A summary of the dialogue in an easy-to-read version prepared by Inclusion Europe is available. (August 2015)
a response to the UN Committee's more urgent recommendations, and follow-up on the adoption of the European accessibility act, the Commission's withdrawal from the EU Framework, and the update of the list of EU legal acts related to disability (January 2017).
Combined second and third report on the EU's application of the Convention (April 2023)
dialogue with the UN in Geneva and recommendations for follow-up (March/April 2025)

EU Member States must also submit individual implementation reports to the UN for matters falling under their competence.

European Commission Expert Group 'Disability Platform'

The Commission regularly discusses the implementation of the convention at EU and Member State level in an expert group called 'Disability Platform' with the:

European Commission
Representatives from EU Member States responsible for implementing and monitoring the Convention
Several EU-level NGOs, including disabled people’s organisations (DPOs)
The European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee are observers at the Disability Platform

EU framework on the implementation of the UNCRPD

Parties are to establish a framework, including one or more independent mechanisms to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the Convention.

The EU framework became operational in 2013, based on a proposal by the Commission that was endorsed by the Council in 2012. It complements national monitoring mechanisms.

The members of the EU Framework are:

The European Commission was a member of the Framework until late 2015. The Commission withdrew following the recommendation of the Committee on the rights of persons with disabilities. The European Commission continues to coordinate the implementation of the UNCRPD at EU level.