This chapter argues that the CRPD represents a dramatic paradigm shift in how people with disabilities are to be viewed in their respective societies and under international law. It explains the overview of the UN human rights treaty system, followed by a discussion of various theories about why countries sign treaties, as well as the potential effectiveness of treaties, once they have been ratified. The chapter discusses possible explanations for why so many countries have chosen to ratify the CRPD. It examines the potential impact of the CRPD on people with and without disabilities worldwide. In the course of the five years that the Ad Hoc Committee met to draft and approve the CRPD, people with disabilities, themselves, with their allies, waged a battle to enforce their rights on the international stage. The CRPD itself was the product of nearly two decades of advocacy efforts by individuals, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), disability people's organizations (DPOs), and governmental representatives.