Art.2 Definitions

Abstract

This chapter examines Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The article explains the meaning of key terms of the Convention. The reasons for incorporating a specific article on definitions was primarily to clarify the scope of the state obligations laid down in the CRPD and thereby to contribute to the effective implementation of the treaty. Under international human rights law, the term ‘discrimination’ has acquired a specific meaning which may differ from how it is interpreted in domestic law. ‘Universal design’, on the contrary, is a fairly new expression in human rights law and thus in need of clarification. In addition, the drafters of the treaty sought to make visible the disability-specific aspects of the terms listed in article 2 so that they are not excluded or forgotten.