In 2019, the Canadian Human Rights Commission became responsible for monitoring Canada's implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ("CRPD" or the "Convention"). When we do this monitoring work, we are officially called the National Monitoring Mechanism (NMM).
Monitoring means we track how the Convention is put into action in Canada. It also means that it is the Commission's job to identify gaps and problems that need to be fixed.
Monitoring the Convention is an important responsibility. We involve other people and groups in our monitoring work. We work with people with disabilities, with organizations that advocate on their behalf, and with families and caregivers of people with disabilities. Together, we work to make sure Canada follows the rules of the Convention.
The monitoring work should be meaningful for people with disabilities, and contribute to real change. We are on a journey together with people with disabilities to improve their rights.
We integrate a disability rights lens into all of our international work. When we engage with the United Nations for example, we highlight human rights concerns experienced by people with disabilities and call for improvements in Canada.
How we monitor
The first step of the monitoring work was to engage with people with disabilities in Canada. This helped us to listen and learn about their experiences and points of view.
The next step of the monitoring process included developing a plan for how we will take action on what people told us. This plan requires us to work together to move forward in our journey.
This prepared us to move forward to monitor the right to housing for people with disabilities in Canada – a key issue that people told us was important to them.