Georgian Parliament’s Education Committee supports Marrakesh Treaty enabling visually impaired individuals access to published works
She also highlighted the document included a “specific provision” stating works would no longer be permitted to be used for distribution to beneficiaries by the Treaty and authorised entities if they are produced in an accessible format for the visually impaired and made commercially available in local markets. Photo: Georgian Parliament
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The Education, Science and Youth Affairs Committee of the Georgian Parliament on Thursday reviewed and supported the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works to Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities.
The Treaty, adopted in 2013 by the Organisation, addresses the problem known as ‘book famine’ through ensuring access to works.
Irine Tsakadze, the Deputy Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, said readers in Georgia would gain access to approximately 800,000 works produced worldwide, while people abroad would be able to read works produced in Georgia following the ratification of the Treaty.
This facilitates the protection of the rights of visually impaired persons, their education, awareness, the right to free personal development, and access to cultural materials”, the Deputy Minister noted.
She also said the Treaty represented an “excellent legal mechanism” to promote implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with the document addressing Article 30 of the Convention that recognises equal participation of persons with disabilities in cultural life.
Tsakadze noted all parties bound by the Convention were required to take “all necessary measures” to ensure visually impaired individuals “do not face barriers in accessing cultural materials”.
The official added the Treaty required the countries supporting the document to produce artistic and literary works in accessible formats for visually impaired people, as well as ensuring their non-commercial availability.
She also highlighted the document included a “specific provision” stating works would no longer be permitted to be used for distribution to beneficiaries by the Treaty and authorised entities if they are produced in an accessible format for the visually impaired and made commercially available in local markets.