Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – 25 July 2019 3.2 Mechanisms to ensure the full and effective participation of persons with disability (LOI 2) 11. The Commission recommends the Australian Government establish stronger mechanisms for the full and effective engagement of people with disability and their representative organisations in the policy development, implementation and monitoring of actions relating to the CRPD, through (i) the National Disability Strategy (2010–2020) (NDS) and any future iterations of the NDS and (ii) the National Disability Agreement (NDA) (discussed in paragraph 20). This includes appropriately funding independent advocacy support for people with disability and increasing resources and opportunities for representative and advocacy organisations to participate in the development and monitoring of actions under the NDS. 12. A review of the NDS by the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Review) in 2018 concluded that further facilitating the participation of people with disability at all levels of policy design and implementation would help to achieve the goals of the NDS.7 13. The Senate Community Affairs References Committee recommended the development of best practice guidelines for detailed consultation with people with disability and their advocates under the NDS.8 It also noted the critical role of advocacy in the consultation process. 14. During the Commission’s national consultations in 2016–17, many people raised concerns about the adequacy of funding for advocacy supports, including the limited resources to enable participation in the implementation and monitoring of the CRPD.9 15. The Australian Government’s current funding commitment to the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) will end on 30 June 2020. The Commission encourages the government to continue these funding programs beyond 2020, on a more long-term and secure basis. 16. The advocacy services that NDAP agencies can provide is specified in their grant agreement with the Australian Government.10 Often the scope of the services is limited to a specific target group or service area. The Commission is concerned this significantly limits the engagement of people with disability and their representative organisations in all matters relating to the CRPD. Recommendation 4: The Australian Government establish permanent consultation mechanisms and develop best practice guidelines for the 6