Institut für inklusive Entwicklung

Monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, states have committed themselves to regularly report on the implementation of the Convention.

The UN CRPD is the "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" (UN CRPD for short), which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 13 December 2006. Article 34 of the UN CRPD stipulates the establishment of a Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OHCHR), which was then established, monitors the implementation of the Convention in the States Parties. It consists of 18 independent experts (with disabilities) who meet twice a year. Here, the Committee discusses the implementation of the Convention in selected States Parties. In addition, the Committee examines individual complaints and issues general opinions or recommendations on the implementation of the UNCRPD.

With the ratification of the UNCRPD, the States Parties are obliged to submit a comprehensive report on the measures taken to implement the Convention to the Committee at regular intervals. In addition to these state reports, civil society organisations, self-advocacy organisations of persons with disabilities and the independent monitoring body also submit parallel reports, which the Committee also takes into account.
In 2015 and 2018, the Committee examined the implementation of the UNCRPD in Germany. For this purpose, a List of Issues is handed over to the Federal Government. This is followed by a constructive dialogue between the Committee and the State, during which comments on the State Report are obtained. The "Concluding Observations" reveal problems in implementation, formulate points of criticism and recommendations. The federal, state and local governments are then instructed to implement the requested changes for their respective areas of responsibility. Finally, the state must again, taking into account the recommendations, reflect the status of the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities.

In addition to the Committee, the signatory states are obliged under Article 33(2) of the UNCRPD to establish an independent monitoring body. In Germany, the Institute for Human Rights was appointed for this purpose. The monitoring body examines whether Germany is promoting compliance with the rights of persons with disabilities and monitors the implementation of the UNCRPD in Germany. An important task of the monitoring body is the publication of the independent parallel report during the state review process.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is to be implemented by all state agencies.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is to be implemented by all state agencies.

Further Literature

State reporting procedure 

Through the State reporting procedure, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities receives information from States Parties on how the implementation of the UN CRPD is progressing.

General information

Guidelines on the state reporting procedure

State Report Procedure Germany

Germany has already had to go through the State Reporting Procedure review twice.  

2nd State Review 2018-2021

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the First State Review 2011-2015

Parallel reports

In addition to the State party reports, parallel reports are also submitted by the independent monitoring body, self-organisations and associations.

Parallel Report 2015 - Institute for Human Rights

Parallel Report 2015 - Institute for Human Rights - Plain Language

Shadow translation 3rd edition 2018 - Netzwerk Artikel 3 e.V.

Parallel Report 2013 - BRK Alliance

Parallel Report 2018 - Initiativgruppe Parallelgruppe Paragraph 36

Monitoring Body

The Institute for Human Rights has been appointed as the independent monitoring body for the UN CRPD in Germany.

About the Monitoring Body