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In December 2001, the General Assembly established an Ad Hoc Committee to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

The Ad Hoc Committee of the General Assembly held its first session at United Nations Headquarters (New York) from 29 July to 9 August 2002. The first session mainly focused on procedural issues. States agreed on special accreditation and generous participation rules for NGOs, and on inviting national human rights institutions and individual experts to future sessions of the Committee.

In its resolution 57/229, the General Assembly decided that the Ad Hoc Committee should hold at least one meeting in 2003 prior the fifty-eight session of the General Assembly. Several regional meetings or seminars were organised to contribute to the work of the Ad Hoc Committee.

The second session of the Ad Hoc Committee took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 16 to 27 June 2003. The Ad Hoc Committee recommended to the General Assembly that a convention be elaborated, and established a working group to prepare a draft text which would be the basis for negotiation in the next session of the Ad Hoc Committee.

The seventh session of the Ad Hoc Committee took place in New York from 16 January to 3 February. The report of the Ad Hoc Committee, including the working text of the convention is available

The eighth session of the Ad Hoc Committee met in New York from 14-25 August 2006. On 25 August, the Ad Hoc Committee adopted the draft Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.

On 13 December 2006, the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. On 30 March 2007, the Convention and Optional Protocol were opened for signature. 81 States and the European Communities signed the Convention and 44 States signed the Optional Protocol. One country ratified the Convention.

In order for them to come into force, the Convention requires 20 States to ratify it and the Optional Protocol requires 10 States to ratify it.