Interpreting to change? The transformations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Abstract
This article offers a critical analysis of the evolutive interpretative approach adopted by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with particular attention to General Comments n. 1 (2014) on legal capacity and n. 7 (2018) on participation in decision-making. While evolutive interpretation allows the Convention to adapt to contemporary social developments, it also raises significant concerns regarding the Committee’s institutional legitimacy ˗especially when its views appear to introduce new legal obligations not expressly grounded in the treaty text. The article highlights the tension between the Committee’s growing normative influence and its lack of coercive authority, external oversight, and robust accountability mechanisms. It further argues that equating the Committee’s pronouncements with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights overlooks essential structural differences between a binding judicial body and a non-judicial treaty organ. The study concludes by calling for a clearer delineation of the Committee’s interpretative mandate to safeguard legal certainty and the legitimacy of the human rights system.
Received: 24 May 2025; Accepted: 16 December 2025; Published online: Articles in Press 16 July 2026
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