On December 30, 2007, Armenia signed the UN CRPD. Nevertheless, the country has not yet ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention, but the Government is currently taking active steps to complete the ratification process. With the ratification of the Convention, Armenia has changed the state concept of the regulation of the rights of persons with disabilities, moving from the medical model of disability to the social model. In 2021, the National Assembly adopted the RA Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The subject of the law is the provision, protection, and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities. The law sets out the definitions of disability, affordability, reasonable accommodation, universal design, discrimination based on disability, and independent living. The concept of disability is defined by a combination of medical and social models. In parallel with this law, on May 5, 2021, the RA Law on Assessment of Personality Functionality was adopted, and on September 1, it entered into force.
The UNCT approach for the current call will be based on setting-up the necessary enabling environment and ecosystem with mechanisms and platforms allowing systemic approach to CRPD implementation and disability mainstreaming, strongly guided by principle of participation under General comment N. 7 of the Committee and with particular focus on the rights of underrepresented groups and women and girls in particular.