The purpose of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is to promote, protect, and ensure that all persons with disabilities enjoy, on an equal basis with others, all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

All individuals are equal before the law and are entitled to all human rights. The SRFF recognizes that people with disabilities have not had the same opportunities as others throughout history. The States Parties acknowledge this fact and pledge to work for the improved welfare and rights of people with disabilities. The Convention is first and foremost an equality treaty. States Parties must work towards equal rights and equal opportunities for all, regardless of disability. The Convention has already had a wide-ranging impact on the situation of persons with disabilities in the States Parties.

The situation in Iceland

The Icelandic government signed the treaty in 2007, ratified it in 2016, but has not yet enacted it into law. In the spring of 2019, the Althingi approved a motion by sixteen members of parliament instructing the government to prepare for the ratification of the SRFF and to submit the bill to the Althingi no later than December 13, 2020. That did not happen. The treaty was ratified by the Althingi on November 12, 2025. The ratification of the treaty will ensure that people with disabilities in Iceland can directly base their rights on the treaty. This means a significant improvement in legal rights.