Skip to main content
In order to provide complete functionality, this web site needs your explicit consent to store browser cookies. If you don't allow cookies, you may not be able to use certain features of the web site including but not limited to: log in, buy products, see personalized content, switch between site cultures. It is recommended that you allow all cookies.
 
 
How is our work influencing life in Northern Ireland and delivering equality? Learn more about our policy, legal and research work.
 
 

Key developments

Independent Mechanism for N. Ireland
& UK Independent Mechanism
Disability

What you need to know

IMNI meetings
 
UNCRPD Key Developments

The United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

The UK uses an independent process to ensure the Convention is properly implemented. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and NI Human Rights Commission form the 'Independent Mechanism for Northern Ireland' (IMNI) which promotes, protects and monitors implementation of UNCRPD here. Together with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (GB) and Scottish Human Rights Commission we form the United Kingdom's Independent Mechanism (UKIM).

The UK submits regular reports to the UN Committee on how the rights enshrined in the Convention are being implemented. The UN Committee examines each report and then forwards recommendations in the form of concluding observations. This follows IMNI's participation in the formal examination process having worked closely with stakeholders to highlight key issues crucial to the realisation of Convention rights.

You can read recent submissions and reports, including the Committee’s most recent concluding observations issued in August 2017, below.

UN Committee report on the follow-up to the UNCRPD 2016 UK Inquiry

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has published a follow-up report (24 April 2024) into what action the UK Government and NI Executive have taken, since its 2016 UK Inquiry, to ensure people with a disability can enjoy the rights to independent living, employment and adequate standard of living.

The Committee concludes that no significant progress has been made, that the State party has failed to take all appropriate measures to address grave and systematic violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities and to eliminate the root causes of inequality and discrimination.

The report is available on the United Nations Human Rights website
 

UK Independent Mechanism update to the UNCRPD Inquiry (March 2024)

The United Kingdom Independent Mechanism of the Equality Commission, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Scottish Human rights Commission and the English Human Rights Commission has published additional information for the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to inform its inquiry review into the rights of Disabled people in the UK.
 

UNCRPD 2023 Inquiry

Independent Mechanism NI
The Independent Mechanism for Northern Ireland have contributed to the UKIM report on progress since the 2016 Inquiry into the impacts of welfare reforms on the rights of disabled people. Read the Independent Mechanism report, an Easy Read version is also available. This will be considered by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 28 Aug 2023. Read the press release

UK Independent Mechanism
The Equality Commission NI and NI Human Rights Commission have also submitted a Jurisdictional report on progress in Northern Ireland since the 2016 Inquiry.

The UN Committee considered evidence on progress on Mon 28 Aug 2023.
 

Research into Progress Towards the Implementation of the UNCRPD in Northern Ireland (2022)

This research report is a review of the work on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) undertaken within Northern Ireland (NI).  The research was undertaken by Disability Action, on behalf of the Equality Commission NI, to assist the Independent Mechanism for Northern Ireland with evidence of any substantive shortfalls of public policies and programme delivery relating to the UNCRPD.

Download the report 'Progress towards the implementation of UNCRPD in Northern Ireland':

 

 

IMNI submission to Inquiry into the uneven impact of Covid-19: Disability and Access to Services (July 2020)

 

IMNI establish Disability Forum and call on Government to take action (March 2020)

The Equality Commission and the NI Human Rights Commission, acting as the Independent Mechanism in Northern Ireland (IMNI) under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), have established a disability stakeholder forum.

The IMNI Disability Forum involves persons with disabilities and their representative organisations to further assist both organisations to deliver their joint role to promote, protect and monitor implementation of UNCRPD in Northern Ireland.  The Forum also informs wider engagement to support and challenge government to give effect to the UNCRPD in Northern Ireland.

The establishment of the Forum is a result of ongoing involvement with stakeholders regarding how best we can work together to protect and monitor the implementation of the CRPD. Involvement in independent monitoring is however not a replacement for the direct involvement of disabled people in the work of government to implement the CRPD and make Convention rights a reality across Northern Ireland.  

We call again for the creation of a regional disability forum by the Department for Communities (DfC), as was committed to in the last Programme for Government, to involve people with disabilities in the design, delivery and review of key actions by government to advance and mainstream key disability issues.  We also call on government to ensure the sufficient funding of Disabled Persons Organisations and disabled people, to enable their full and effective involvement.
 
 

UN Committee's concluding observations following UK State Party examination (2017)

On 31st August 2017, the UN Committee issued its concluding observations on how the UK, including Northern Ireland, is delivering on its obligations to those with disabilities. This follows IMNI's participation in the formal examination process as part of the UKIM delegation, having worked closely with stakeholders to highlight key issues crucial to the realisation of Convention rights.
 
 

Earlier submissions & developments

Earlier submissions, reports and developments are listed below:

 

 
 


Get Involved - what can you do to help?
As the Independent Mechanism for Northern Ireland, we are continuing in our efforts to ensure you are central to our work, and encouraging you to directly engage with the UN Committee to drive change. We are always interested in your views on the gaps between public policy and programmes in Northern Ireland and the requirements of the UNCRPD.
 
  • Email us:  publicpolicy@equalityni.org
  • Phone us: 028 90 500 570
  • Tweet us: @EqualityCommNI
  • Write to us: Independent Mechanism for NI, Equality Commission NI, Equality House, 7-9 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast BT2 7DP


 
< What is UNCRPD?
< Addressing inequality
Get involved >
(The Optional Protocol)
 
The Equality Commission for NI and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission meet as a joint committee as part of the Independent Mechanism for Northern Ireland (IMNI).
 
If you would like to view records of earlier meetings, please contact us and we will be happy to accommodate this, email publicpolicy@equalityni.org
 

Disability Forum
The Equality Commission and the NI Human Rights Commission have established a disability stakeholder forum. It involves persons with disabilities and their representative organisations to further assist both organisations to deliver their joint role to promote, protect and monitor implementation of UNCRPD in Northern Ireland.  The Forum also informs wider engagement to support and challenge government to give effect to the UNCRPD in Northern Ireland. Minutes of meetings are available on the Disability Forum web page.


 
< What is UNCRPD?
< Addressing inequality
Get involved >
(The Optional Protocol)
 
Print All