Committee membership
Australia participated in the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD which took place in New York on 31 October and 3 November 2008. As part of the Conference, an inaugural election of the Committee was held on 3 November 2008.
Article 34 of the CRPD provides for the establishment of the Committee. The Committee is the body of independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention by the States Parties. Article 34 provides that members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a list of persons nominated by the States parties from among their nationals at meetings of the Conference of States parties. The Committee comprises 12 independent experts. Following an additional sixty ratifications or accessions to the Convention, the membership of the Committee will increase by six, to 18 independent experts.
Australia nominated Professor Ron McCallum AO as its candidate for the election of the Committee. Australia was successful and Professor McCallum became one of the first 12 members of the Committee.
Professor McCallum was appointed the inaugural Rapporteur on the CRPD in March 2009. As Rapporteur, Professor McCallum will be responsible for reporting to the UN General Assembly on the recommendations and activities of the Committee.