The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is an international treaty that identifies the rights of disabled people as well as the obligations on countries, that have signed the Convention, to promote, protect and ensure those rights. The United Kingdom signed the Convention in 2009.
The Greater Manchester Disabled People’s Panel is keen to promote disabled people’s rights under the Convention at a city-regional level.
To assist disabled people and Disabled People’s Organisations in Greater Manchester to understand and promote the Convention rights, we have compiled the following resources:
Equality and Human Rights Commission – an overview of the Convention and what it means for disabled people’s rights in the United Kingdom.
United Nations – the official United Nations homepage for the Convention
Disability Rights UK have produced an Easyread factsheet about the Convention
We have also collated resources that relate specifically to COVID-19 and the Convention. This section also includes recommedations by other international bodies:
United Nations: Statement on Covid-19 and the human rights of disabled people
United Nations: Policy Brief – A Disability-Inclusive Response to COVID-19
Council of Europe Statement by Commissioner for Human Rights – April 2020
Equinet, the European Network of Equality Bodies has also produced a set of recommendations for rebuilding societies after COVID-19. They emphasize the structural issues relating to inequality and discrimination in relation to all protected characteristics, for example the need to carry out Equality Impact Assessments. In relation to Brexit, Great Britain will still be able to maintain its membership of Equinet as it currently is not only limited to Equality Bodies in the European Union but in the wider European area. The UK representatives are: Equality and Human Rights Commission (for Great Britain) and Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
Other useful links
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Disabled People
Disability Rights UK have a factsheet which explains how the UK Human Rights Act 1998 applies to disabled people
GM Disabled People's Panel 