Deputy Justice Minister, UN Special Rapporteur discuss ongoing, planned reforms of protecting disabled people’s rights

Ongoing and planned reforms within Georgia’s Ministry of Justice for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between Deputy Minister Buba Lomuashvili and Gerard Quinn, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities.

The meeting highlighted topics such as the domestic Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, involvement of representatives of the disabled community in Ministry’s policy planning, as well as the legal status of convicts and accused persons with disabilities placed in penitentiary institutions, their conditions of confinement.

Quinn paid a special visit to Georgia with the goal of assessing the country's performance and efforts taken to protect the rights of people with disabilities, and will submit a report on the current situation in Georgia for the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2024.

Georgia’s Justice Ministry in May said it had approved the 2023 action plan for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, ensuring compliance with the relevant United Nations Convention and serving to improve the accessibility of the related infrastructure, services and offerings for persons with disabilities.

It added the approval ensured compliance with provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as incorporated tasks and activities designed to ensure application of the domestic law.