On February 27, 2020, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria participated in an event hosted by the Embassy of France in Georgia, during which, the NGOs working in the field of human rights were awarded. The theme of the year was – protection of children's rights in Georgia. The event focused on the rights of children with disabilities.

“One of the most vulnerable groups of our community is children with disabilities, especially those living in regions, since many schools are not adapted for inclusive education. In addition, since public services are mainly available in Tbilisi and other major cities, children with disabilities often have to leave their families and live in other cities.

We also have serious challenges in the field of mental health care, where the problem of deinstitutionalization still remains unsolved. Given that public services do not function properly, the activity and efforts of non-governmental and community-based organizations are of particular importance,” - the Georgian Public Defender said in her speech at the awards ceremony.

In 2020, the Embassy of France reviewed the activities of 13 Georgian NGOs and the Public Defender awarded the Parents’ Union for its efforts in the field of protection of children’s rights. The organization will receive € 2,000 to spend on the purchase of a specific timber equipment, which will enable the NGO to continue vocational education and training courses for adults and young people with disabilities and their parents.

The Embassy of France also awarded Imedi Handicap for its dedicated efforts to build a day care center for children with disabilities in Shuakhevi (Adjara).

With the above event, the French Republic once again showed its strong and significant support to the persons and organizations defending human rights in Georgia.