IDDC

Council decision for CRPD ratification by the European Community

IDDC welcomes the decision of the Council of the European Union for the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by the European Community. This is a historic moment not just for the European Union, not just for people with disabilities in Europe, but also for people with disabilities all over the world who have been fighting for recognition of their rights for a long time.

The CRPD is the first UN human rights convention that both the European Union and its Member States will be a party to and that obliges parties to include persons with disabilities in international cooperation.

IDDC hopes that the European Commission will use this new instrument constructively and fully live up to its obligations to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in its cooperation with countries outside the European Union. IDDC hopes that the impacts of this decision on programming and policy in the areas of development cooperation and humanitarian aid will soon be felt. All EU Member States should give this human rights treaty its full importance and proceed towards their own ratifications.