Res. No. 665
Resolution calling on the United States Senate to approve, and the President to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, in recognition of the Convention’s 20th anniversary
By Council Members Hanif, Nurse, Gutiérrez, Cabán and Joseph
Whereas, On December 13, 2006, the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ("CRPD" or the “Convention”), an international human rights treaty created to promote, protect, and reaffirm the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities; and
Whereas, Since its entry into force on May 3, 2008, the CRPD has achieved near-universal acceptance among U.N. Member States and is widely recognized as one of the most significant international human rights treaties of the modern era; and
Whereas, As of October 2026, the United States (U.S.) remains among a very small number of countries that have signed but not ratified the CRPD, and is the only member of the Group of Seven (G7) nations that has not ratified the Convention; and
Whereas, December 13, 2026, marks the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the CRPD by the U.N. General Assembly, providing the U.S. an opportunity to reaffirm its commitments to the rights, dignity, and full inclusion of persons with disabilities and join the international community in advancing those goals; and
Whereas, The Convention clarifies and qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies areas where adaptations are necessary to ensure their full enjoyment of those rights, where the rights of persons with disabilities have been violated, and where additional protections are needed; and
Whereas, The Optional Protocol to the CRPD establishes a mechanism through which individuals and groups may submit complaints to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities alleging violations of rights protected under the Convention, and authorizes the Committee to investigate grave or systematic violations by States that are parties to the Optional Protocol; and
Whereas, The Optional Protocol entered into force on May 3, 2008, and currently has 107 States parties, reflecting broad international support for strengthened accountability and enforcement of disability rights protections; and
Whereas, The principles embodied in the CRPD are consistent with longstanding disability-rights protections in the U.S., including those established under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990-reflecting many of the accessibility, nondiscrimination, and inclusion standards pioneered by the U.S., per the Congressional Research Service report on the U.S. CRPD ratification debate; and
Whereas, On July 30, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the CRPD on behalf of the U.S., recognizing the importance of advancing disability rights and accessibility globally; and
Whereas, Despite the U.S.’s signature of the CRPD in 2009, the treaty has not been ratified by the U.S. Senate and therefore has not been adopted by the nation; and
Whereas, Ratification of the CRPD would require the U.S. to submit reports to the Convention's monitoring body, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and to respond to questions about the progress of the protection of the rights of such persons throughout the U.S., including within the City of New York (NYC or the “City”); and
Whereas, NYC is home to nearly one million persons with disabilities who continue to face barriers to employment, housing, transportation, civic participation, and economic opportunity; and
Whereas, Upon ratification, community-based organizations and other entities in NYC would be able to participate in the proceedings of the Committee and advocate to the U.S. government to implement the Committee's recommendations and advance the rights of persons with disabilities across the City and nationwide; and
Whereas, Ratification of the CRPD would reaffirm the disability rights protections embodied in the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights laws while strengthening domestic and international efforts to promote accessibility, inclusion, equal opportunity, independent living, and the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the United States Senate to approve, and the President to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, in recognition of the Convention’s 20th anniversary.
LS #25892
10/1/2026 1:56 PM
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