Parliament Speaker highlights role of disabled persons, wounded military personnel
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said the role of disabled persons, including injured military personnel, were “particularly noteworthy” today with “just a few days left before the European Council grants Georgia the EU membership candidate status”. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Sunday said the role and commitment of disabled persons, including injured military personnel, were “particularly noteworthy” today with “just a few days left before the European Council grants Georgia the European Union membership candidate status”.
In his social media post on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Papuashvili especially highlighted the wounded military personnel, who had defended global peace in hotspots around the world and now represented Georgia as successful para-athletes on the international stage”.
He said the Government had determined the rights of people with disabilities under the Constitution of Georgia in 2017, while the new law adopted in 2020 “opened a new door of opportunities” for them.
The Parliament Speaker added that the 2024 state budget involved an increased amount for the social rehabilitation and child care programme, stressing ₾76 million ($28.20mln) would be allocated for the programme next year, marking a “record increase” of ₾10 million ($3.71mln).
The sub-programmes of this initiative create sustainable and robust services for disabled individuals with various needs, and the enhanced social package will refer to all categories of persons with disabilities”, he noted.
Papuashvili also emphasised the importance of providing equal opportunities for disabled people, by putting forth all “efforts” for its fulfilment.
On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities marked annually on December 3, the Georgian Government on Sunday announced that work to fulfil the goals and objectives outlined in the second National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights of Georgia for 2022-2030, adopted in 2023, was underway by developing a 2024-2026 national action plan.
The European Union on Tuesday published its annual 2022 report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World, in which it assessed that overall Georgia has a “solid” human rights framework, including legislations and policies in line with international and European standards.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Wednesday said the country’s legislative body was marking this year’s Day of Protection of Rights of the People with Disabilities on the back of “important decisions” made over the recent years to “assert the rights” of disabled individuals across the country.
Georgia’s Justice Ministry on Tuesday 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.