Rati Ionatamishvili is participating in the work of the 15th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD held in New York under the auspices of the United Nations.

The MP addressed the participants of the Assembly and spoke about the policy pursued by the state to improve the rights of persons with disabilities in Georgia.

"My country, Georgia, is a small, proud, and free country that is occupied by the Russian Federation on 20% of its territory. Indigenous peoples living in Russian-occupied Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali regions have become even more vulnerable as the world continues to grapple with an unparalleled global crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus. Unfortunately, residents, particularly persons with disabilities, are subjected to severe human rights violations. The list of rights that have been violated is extremely long. I'd like to greet them from this high podium since I know they'll listen to us and are fully aware that we care about their fate and legal status. For the rest of Georgia, the last two years have been transformative for disabled people's rights: we've finished harmonizing national legislation with the CRPD values and principles, and we've ratified the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention, which was doubly joyful for me. We've passed new national access standards, boosted rehabilitation/habilitation services by 100% in four years, and formed a committee with the Prime Minister to execute the CRPD”, - Rati Ionatamishvili stated.

According to him, the current priority of the government is to move to a social model and increase access to justice, women's health services and the Paralympic movement.

"It is our responsibility to make these decisions fast and inclusively, because delaying decisions means a lost generation for people with disabilities, something we should never allow anybody else or ourselves to do. I'd want to close my address by expressing my solidarity with disabled people in Ukraine who have been subjected to the brutality of war this year. In addition, many Ukrainians have become disabled as a result of the war, and it is up to each of us to create the essential conditions for a dignified life for them”, - Rati Ionatamishvili stated.