On 6 June 2019, the Public Defender’s Office, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), held an informational meeting with representatives of local self-government bodies, local councils working on issues of persons with disabilities and civil society in the Ambrolauri municipality.

Deputy Public Defender Ekaterine Skhiladze talked about the importance of raising awareness of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the mandate and activities of the Public Defender of Georgia in this direction. Louisa Vinton, Resident Representative of UNDP in Georgia, also delivered a speech at the meeting.

Zviad Mkheidze, Mayor of the Ambrolauri Municipality, Aslan Saganelidze, Chairperson of the Ambrolauri Municipal Council, and Giorgi Gonadze, Deputy Governor of Ambrolauri, Lentekhi, Oni and Tsageri Municipalities, talked about the local ongoing and planned projects for the protection of persons with disabilities.

Employees of the Public Defender's Office, Nino Valikova and Natia Beradze, talked about the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the obligations undertaken by the state for full inclusion of these persons in the society and the operation of local councils working on the rights of persons with disabilities. They focused on issues relating to ensuring the accessibility standards, as well as the municipality's rights and responsibilities in the field of preschool education.

Participants of the meeting also discussed the main challenges relating to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities at the local level, including the realization of their right to work, involvement in all areas of social life and social rights.

The meeting was supported by the UNDP project "Strengthening the Government Capacities for the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities".

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