Professor McCallum was nominated by the Australian government to stand as an independent expert for the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities when that Committee was first established in 2008. The primary function of the Committee is to monitor the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Ron served as inaugural member, then Chair of this Committee and then as Vice-Chair until his term concluded on 31 December 2014.  He also served as the Chair of the UN Committee of the Chairs of all of the UN Treaty Bodies in 2011-2012.

In early 2003, the Australian Government awarded Professor McCallum a Centenary Medal for his role as a labour law scholar and for his role as a disabled citizen in our nation.  In the 2006 Queen’s Birthday honours list (12 June 2006), Professor McCallum received the designation of Officer in the Order of Australia for his services to tertiary education, for industrial relations advice to governments, for assistance to visually impaired persons and for social justice.  On 11 October 2007, Professor McCallum received the 2007 Alumni Achievement Award of Queen's University Canada. On 25 January 2011, Professor McCallum was awarded by the Prime Minister of Australia Ms Julia Gillard, the honour of being Senior Australian for the Year 2011.