How was the Convention negotiated?
The Convention was drafted by the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (Ad Hoc Committee), which was a committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Its membership was open to all United Nations Member States and observers. During its first session, the Ad Hoc Committee decided that representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) accredited to the Ad Hoc Committee could also participate in meetings and make statements in accordance with United Nations practice. The Ad Hoc Committee held eight sessions. At its first two sessions, in 2002 and 2003, the Committee considered the possibility of drafting an international instrument on the rights of persons with disabilities, and discussed the type of instrument and possible elements to be included. At its second session, the Ad Hoc Committee established a working group to prepare a draft text of a convent
