ChildRight, issue 248, 2008, p. 24-27
The United Nations has recently adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The convention obliges ratifying countries the guarantee that persons with disabilities have the right to life and the right to enjoy it on an equal basis with others. It also prohibits discrimination on the grounds of disability and recognises that all persons are entitled to equality before the law. This article summarises why a specific convention on disability is needed, and focuses on how its provisions apply to children with disabilities.