Australia signed up to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008. This means Australia has made a commitment to protect and promote our rights. The main way that Australian Governments are doing this, is through the National Disability Strategy.
Every four years, Australia has to report to the United Nations (UN) and be reviewed on what it has achieved. A committee of independent experts, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Committee) does this review.
2019 CRPD Review
In September 2019, Australia was reviewed for the second time by the Committee. The Australian Government provided its report to the Committee. This report was Australia’s response to a List of Issues that the Committee wanted to know about.
A civil society working group also prepared a civil society Shadow Report, Disability Rights Now to ensure people with disability were represented in the review.
Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) took part in this working group as a member of Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPOA).
The full 2019 civil society CRPD Shadow Report Working Group included:
- Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPO Australia)
- Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)
- Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA)
- Australian Centre for Disability Law (ACDL)
- Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA)
- Council for Intellectual Disability NSW (CID)
- Queensland Advocacy Incorporated (QAI)
- Advocacy for Inclusion (AFI)
- Queensland Voice for Mental Health (QVMH).