Reporting on the implementation of the UNCRPD in New Zealand
This page explains how New Zealand reports to the United Nations on its implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Progress reporting to the United Nations
Countries that have agreed to the UNCRPD, including New Zealand, must monitor their progress and report on it to the United Nations.
The UNCRPD Committee regularly reviews each country’s progress and then makes Concluding Observations, which are recommendations for improvement.
The United Nations reviews each country’s progress using the following process:
- The government of each country submits a progress report to the UNCRPD Committee.
- The Committee sends the government a ‘List of Issues’. This is a list of questions the Committee wants the government to answer in writing on topics related to implementation. These questions are normally based on the information from the government's progress report as well as reports from civil society organisations (non-government organisations).
- The government provides answers to the questions in the Committee’s List of Issues. Representatives from the government meet with the Committee to discuss what the government is doing to implement the UNCRPD. The Committee also meets separately with the country’s civil society organisations.
- After the review of progress, the Committee sends each country 'Concluding Observations'. These recognise what the country is doing well, and make recommendations for improvement.
This process helps countries continue improving how they meet their commitments under the UNCRPD.
First review of New Zealand’s progress
The New Zealand Government submitted its first report on progress implementing the UNCRPD to the United Nations in March 2011. The New Zealand Government consulted with the disabled community between November and December 2010.
In September 2014, the UNCRPD Committee held its first review of New Zealand's progress in implementing the UNCRPD in Geneva.
First review of New Zealand's implementation of the UNCRPD
Second review of New Zealand’s progress
The second review of New Zealand’s progress started in March 2018 and ended in September 2022. After the review, the UNCRPD Committee released its Concluding Observations, which included 63 recommendations.
The second review followed a different process from the first review. The UNCRPD Committee considered New Zealand's second and third progress reports together, rather than separately. This approach is becoming more common because the Committee reviews many countries and has limited time each year.
The Government also used a "Simplified Reporting Process". Instead of submitting a separate progress report, it responded to a List of Issues, which is a set of questions from the UNCRPD Committee about New Zealand's progress.
Second review of New Zealand's implementation of the UNCRPD
Response to the recommendations from the second UNCRPD review
In November 2025, the New Zealand Government agreed to progress work on 46 of the 63 Concluding Observations made by the UNCRPD Committee after New Zealand's second review.
This review took place in 2022 and is the most recent review of New Zealand's progress in implementing the UNCRPD.