On March 17, 2023, Public Defender of Georgia Levan Ioseliani participated in the 7th conference dedicated to the World Down Syndrome Day.

Participants in the event talked about the projects implemented in the direction of increasing accessibility for people with Down syndrome, results achieved and challenges, as well as issues of early development of Down syndrome, inclusive pre-school education, inclusive basic education and state services.

In his speech delivered at the conference, Public Defender of Georgia Levan Ioseliani spoke about the challenges in the country, including the process of introducing the social model of disability and gaps in proper access to health care services; He emphasized the need to eliminate stigma and stereotypes in society, discussed the obligations of the State to protect the rights of people with Down syndrome, presented the vision of the Public Defender’s Office and noted that his goal was to further strengthen the activity of the Office in the direction of protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including people with Down syndrome.

In addition, the Public Defender thanked the Down Syndrome Association for their efforts to highlight, advocate and raise awareness of the needs of people with Down's syndrome.

The event was organized by the Down Syndrome Association of Georgia, the Open Society Foundation, the EU Delegation to Georgia and the United Nations Development Programme.