On 13 December, 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Ten years have passed since the adoption of the Convention.

Even though the Convention has been ratified by Georgia, its implementation remains a challenge. In accordance with Article 31 of the Convention, States Parties undertake to collect information, including statistical and research data, about the persons with disabilities. This is particularly important for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Convention.

The results of the examination carried out by the Public Defender's Office show that collection and maintenance of statistical data on persons with disabilities is limited only to ascertaining their number during the conduct of a census in the country and this is done according to the information provided by the persons with disabilities themselves on the basis of self-identification, which does not provide complete information on their needs. Similarly, the statistics of the Social Service Agency, which reflects only the number of recipients of social packages and other state allowances, as well as job-seekers with disabilities, cannot provide relevant information about functional disabilities of persons with various disabilities or full identification of job-seekers.

The statistical data on persons with disabilities does not provide an objective and accurate picture about the protection of the rights. Accordingly, it is difficult to analyze how properly the state protects the rights of persons with disabilities.

Given the abovementioned, the Public Defender has addressed the Government with the following recommendations regarding collection and maintenance of statistical data on persons with disabilities:

• • Impose legislative obligation for the collection of relevant statistics on persons with disabilities
• in order to effectively control the protection of their rights
• • Bring the principles and methods of collection of the data of persons with disabilities in line with the international standards and detail them
• • Incorporate the full statistical data on persons with disabilities in the existent statistical system, which will facilitate full monitoring of the rights situation of persons with disabilities and high-quality protection of their rights
• • Ensure engagement of persons with disabilities and their organizations in the process of development of data collection criteria, as well as collection and maintenance of statistical data
• • Ensure the dissemination of the collected statistical data and their accessibility to persons with disabilities and others
• • Statistical program should ensure collection of detailed information about persons with disabilities, such as information about their hearing, vision, movement, participation in public life, as well as their physical, mental, intellectual and sensory disabilities
• • Develop mechanism for effective cooperation and coordination between the state agencies for the development of programs and policies for persons with disabilities under the Convention; conduct surveys about persons with disabilities and ensure the exchange of the survey results