UNICEF Statement on the Consultation Council of Monitoring Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities​​​​​​​

Establishment of a Consultation Council at the Public Defender’s Office to monitor implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities is another important step forward.                                      

According to the existing data of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs up to 10,000 children with disabilities are registered in Georgia. This represents about 1% of the total child population. However, international evidences demonstrates that at least 2.5% of the child population live with disabilities. Hence, about 15,000 children are still invisible to the child care system. 

This makes the role of the Consultation Council even more important in order effectively address the high level of stigma associated with disabilities, lack of services to support families, especially in small cities and rural areas, and existing medical model of disability assessment that focuses on a medical diagnosis and the limitations arising from impairments and ignores many children with special needs.

We believe that it is crucial to undertake the following measures to address systemic flaws in the area:

• Amend national legislation to comply with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
• Change existing medical model of disability assessment to the social model which addresses barriers that prevent children from having access to basic social services and developing to the fullest potential;
• Develop home visiting system with nurses to ensure early identification and proper referral of children with developmental delays and disabilities;
• Develop family-support as well as family-substitute alternative services to ensure children with disabilities are raised in a caring family environment and end use of institutional care for these very vulnerable children;

- Change public attitude and existing stigma towards children (and generally persons) with disabilities so that these children live in asociety free from discrimination.

We strongly believe that only well-coordinated actions at the central and local levels of all actors, - the Parliament of Georgia, different ministries, Public Defender’s Office, other state agencies, civil society and donor community – can bring positive systemic changes. Media has also a crucial role to play in reducing the stigma and breaking the stereotypes.