Art.32 International Cooperation

Abstract

This chapter examines Article 32 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which deals with the issue of international cooperation. The provision on international cooperation in the CRPD sprang from framework conventions in the international criminal and environmental law spheres, where such provisions are ubiquitous, rather than from prior human rights treaty practice. Article 32 was thus a highly contentious text to negotiate due to the far more limited meaning ascribed to the term ‘international cooperation’ in other international human rights instruments. Article 32 sits holistically within the CRPD framework, and is thus informed by its principles and general obligations, and should be read in conjunction with the specific, substantive rights of the remainder of the treaty. Rights and duties in the CRPD hang together; discerning the meaning of disability inclusive development cannot be achieved by examining any one provision in isolation.