A/HRC/28/58 human rights-based approach and serves as a starting point for work in all areas of life, including as a tool for promoting this approach to development. In its preamble, the Convention recognizes that disability is an evolving concept that results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society. Through the adoption of the Convention, the global community took a decisive step from approaches based on considerations of charity and rehabilitation to social and human rights models – and from a soft law framework to a legally binding human rights treaty that clarifies that persons with disabilities are holders of human rights on an equal basis with others.7 10. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities accelerated the momentum with regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, and increased attention to the issue within the global community. The eight years since the adoption of the Convention have witnessed a mobilization within the United Nations system towards greater protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, the key developments including: (a) The establishment of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention, on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which convened for the first time in 2008 at Headquarters in New York.8 The annual Conference and its parallel events gather an important number of stakeholders to exchange views on progress and challenges in implementing the Convention. (b) The creation in 2008 of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which held its first session in Geneva in 2009. In response to a rapidly increasing number of ratifications, the amount of State party received, and the need for interpretation and guidance on Convention provisions, the Committee has grown from 12 to 18 members and meets for two four-week sessions and two pre-sessional working group sessions annually. To date, the Committee has reviewed 19 States party initial reports, held three days of general discussion and issued two general comments: on equal recognition before the law (art. 12),9 and on accessibility (art. 9).10 (c) The inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities in the work of the Human Rights Council. The Council adopted its first resolution on the human rights of persons with disabilities, resolution 7/9, in 2008, in which it decided to hold an annual interactive debate on the issue. Since its tenth session, the Council has held an annual discussion on a broad variety of topics, each time requesting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to present a thematic report on the issue under discussion.11 In addition, the Council has advanced in making its work accessible to and inclusive of persons with disabilities, and in mainstreaming disability in other areas of work. (d) Increased attention by United Nations programmes, fund and agencies on the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, and the mobilization of two interagency mechanisms: the Inter-Agency Support Group on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Partnership to Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Many agencies have also created and/or strengthened focal points on disability and are gradually adopting a human rights-based approach to their work. 7 8 9 10 11 See Gerard Quinn and Theresia Degener, “Human Rights and Disability: The current use and future potential of United Nations human rights instruments in the context of disability”, United Nations, Geneva, 2002. See CRPD/CSP/2008/4. CRPD/C/GC/1. CRPD/C/CG/2. A/HRC/10/48, A/HRC/13/29, A/HRC/16/38, A/HRC/19/36, A/HRC/22/25, A/HRC/25/29. 5