Article 33(2) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: An other role for national human rights institutions?

This article concerns Article 33(2) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD or Convention) which provides that States should designate or establish one or more independent mechanisms to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of the Convention taking into account the Paris Principles. It analyses the content of Article 33(2) with a view to determining if national human rights institutions (NHRIs) should be designated independent mechanisms. The article adopts a two-pronged approach by explaining the functions of NHRIs and by evaluating their suitability to play the role of independent mechanisms. After explaining the importance of national monitoring, the article discusses the Paris Principles and the role of NHRIs and examines whether these institutions should exercise the functions of independent mechanisms. It also deals with cooperation between these mechanisms and the other actors mentioned in Article 33. Finally, the article analyses the consequences for NHRIs of the reference to the Paris Principles in Article 33(2) of CRPD.