On June 11-13, 2024, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia Irine Chikhladze participated in the 17^th Conference of States Parties to the UNCRPD, which was held at the UN headquarters in New York.

In her speech, on June 11, Irine Chikhladze drew attention to the state of protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and noted that, along with the achievements in the country in the direction of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, there remain many challenges, including equal and substantial involvement of persons with disabilities in the decision-making process and realization of their right to accessibility, in terms of physical environment, services, programmes, information and communication.

While presenting the position of the Public Defender, Irine Chikhladze emphasized the importance of introducing artificial intelligence in order to promote the communication of persons with disabilities. She emphasized the need for the State to activate international cooperation in this direction, as well as the necessity to timely ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.

The Deputy Public Defender also paid attention to the unequal environment and barriers faced by persons with disabilities in terms of realization of the right to work, such as stigma and stereotypical attitudes towards them, lack/absence of formal education, less awareness among employers, as well as among young people and persons with disabilities seeking employment, inaccessible physical environment and working conditions, etc.

During the June 12 round table format, speaking about the situation of the rights of persons with disabilities during risky and emergency situations, the Deputy Public Defender drew attention to the negative practice that accompanied the support provided by the State for persons with disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the end of her speech, the Deputy Public Defender touched upon the newly adopted Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and the risks that the said act may create in terms of protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. Irine Chikhladze noted that the State should abolish all those laws and practices that threaten the full realization of the rights of persons with disabilities and relevant international cooperation, as many achievements in this field are the result of the joint work of international partners and the State.

Within the framework of the conference, representatives of the Public Defender also took part in an event relating to the introduction of artificial intelligence in the field of health care. They also met members of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).

The Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities brings together representatives of the States Parties to the CRPD and is held periodically to discuss issues related to the implementation of the Convention. This year's meeting concerned the introduction of artificial intelligence, employment of persons with disabilities and protection of their rights during emergency and risky situations. The States Parties, international organizations, civil society and national human rights institutions focused on the achievements and challenges in this process.