Disability rights are not specifically addressed by legislation in New Zealand. Instead, disability rights are addressed through human rights legislation. Human rights in New Zealand are protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (NZ BORA) and the Human Rights Act 1993. New Zealand also signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008. International obligations The Universal Declaration of Human Rights New Zealand became a member of the United Nations on October 24, 1945 and was a signatory in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration says that all human beings are born free and equal with dignity and rights. The Declaration became the standard in judging government conduct in relations to human rights. Although the Declaration started out as having only moral and political authority, unable to create legal obligations like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), its principles are now widely recognized. Today, the Declaration has attained a legal force as being part of the customary law of nations, including New Zealand. In addition, The Declaration has become the authority in interpreting human rights provisions of the United Nations Charter, binding all members. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities The United Nations assumed the Universal Declaration would be enough in protecting everyone. However, the 650 million people in the world with disabilities, representing 10 percent of the world population, lack opportunities available to the mainstream population. People with disabilities face many physical and social obstacles that prevent them from exercising many of their rights. Therefore, a convention that deals with disability and the rights of people with disabilities was necessary. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the international standard for rights of the people with disabilities. New Zealand ratified the Convention in 2008 and therefore has a legal obligation to respect, promote, and fulfill the rights provided in the Convention. The Convention is aimed at protecting the dignity of people with disabilities and ensuring that they are treated fairly and equally under the law. It provides these individuals with a voice, visibility, and legitimacy as equal human beings in New Zealand and around the world. Although the Convention does not create new rights or entitlements, it expresses existing rights in