The NDA welcomes the decision by Government to proceed to ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This decision follows the establishment of an Inter-Departmental Working Group in March 2024, whose purpose was to work through the complexities of ratification of the Optional Protocol and report back to Government on a pathway to ratification. The NDA presented to this Working Group in June of this year.
The Optional Protocol establishes an individual complaints mechanism for the UNCRPD. States Parties who ratify the Optional Protocol agree to recognise the competence of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to consider complaints from individuals or groups who claim their rights under the Convention have been violated. The UN Committee can request information from and make recommendations to a State Party. In addition, States Parties may permit the Committee to investigate, report on and make recommendations on "grave or systematic violations" of the Convention through its inquiry procedure.