UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities Discussed at Conference
On June 14, The Coalition for Independent Living (CIL), with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), marked National Disability Rights Day with a forum on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel Tbilisi hosted the forum that aimed at raising public awareness about disability rights issues in Georgia and beyond and saw such participants as Douglas Ball, USAID Mission Director to Georgia; Davit Narmania, Mayor of Tbilisi; Stephen Stork, Deputy Head of Operations of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia; Shombi Sharp, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Georgia, as well as representatives of various other local and international organizations.
The event brought representatives from disabled people’s organizations from across Georgia together with local, national and international government officials to discuss Georgia’s progress toward ensuring full citizenship for persons with disabilities.
The message of the event underscored that “persons with disabilities in Georgia tend to be excluded from mainstream society, unable to realize their political, social, economic, and cultural rights. They are often subject to unequal social treatment and are victims of almost daily discrimination.”
Notably, two years ago, the Parliament of Georgia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which recognizes that differently abled people require equality, dignity, autonomy, independence, inclusion, and accessibility. Similarly, over 200 participants of the forum reviewed their personal progress and challenges since the ratification and evaluated ongoing reforms.
The forum was a joint effort supported by USAID, CIL, Human Rights Secretariat of the Government of Georgia, United Nations Development Program, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and International Labor Organization.
As a panel speaker, Minister of Justice of Georgia, Tea Tsulukiani, declared that the government is pushing the process of adaptation of public buildings for the physically disabled. “The government strongly support the principle: equal opportunities for all,” the Minister stated.
US Ambassador to Georgia, Ian C. Kelly, emphasized that persons with disabilities should be enabled to be equal members of their communities and to realize themselves. Kelly expressed his support toward the government’s implementation of the UNCRPD.
Giorgi Dzneladze, Chairman of the Coalition for Independent Living (CIL) moderated the conference, describing the UNCRPD as a ‘Bible’ for the disabled and calling on the government and other stakeholders to broaden engagement in the Convention’s execution.
Georgia’s Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili also asked for the government’s greater engagement, criticizing them for ‘insufficient efforts’ in terms of effectively enforcing the existing legislation and incorporating efficient control mechanisms in the process. According to Nanuashvili, there were cases of some Members of Parliament insulting disabled persons publicly. He urged the government to punish such acts in the future.
As part of the forum, in order to combat negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities, CIL and Youth Media Union brought together persons with disabilities and their family members, wounded warriors, students, celebrities, and other supporters for a public march from Rose Revolution Square to April 9th Square. In addition, a cultural fair was held on the Square that included a photo exhibition, wheelchair race, dance performance, and the Paralympic sport, Boccia.
The event was organized through USAID’s Disability Legal Advocacy Project, which is implemented by Coalition for Independent Living. Tbilisi City Hall, Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and Zedazeni Company also contributed to the event.
Zviad Adzinbaia