The Democracy Research Institute has evaluated the National Human Rights Strategy and sent critical opinions to Mikheil Sarjveladze, Chairman of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.

On September 5, 2022, the Government of Georgia approved the 2022-2030 National Human Rights Strategy and submitted it to the Parliament of Georgia.[1]

The first National Human Rights Strategy approved by the Parliament of Georgia in 2014 expired at the end of 2020. Government agencies had been working on the new version of the strategy in a closed format for more than 2 years, although the document became publicly available only on August 23, 2022.

The Democracy Research Institute is disappointed by the non-inclusive process of developing the Human Rights Strategy. Contrary to the information specified in the strategy,[2] public organizations have not been involved in the process of its development.

The Strategy developed by the Government of Georgia covers the main human rights challenges of Georgia, which is welcome, however, it does not consider the following very important issues:

• In terms of development of the justice system, the need to reform the High Council of Justice;
• Problems related to individual independence of judges;
• Effective investigation of alleged offences committed by law enforcement officers;
• Protection of human rights during the conduct of secret investigative activities and implementation of the mandate by the State Security Service;
• Effective implementation of the reform of preschool education system;
• Prevention of early marriage;
• Continuation and improvement of the reform of labour legislation of Georgia;
• Elimination/prevention of continuous occupation;
• Improvement of the rights situation of women, LGBT community, children and persons with disabilities living in the occupied territories;
• Effective investigation of alleged torture in the occupied territories and use of preventive measures.

The adoption of the Human Rights Strategy by the Parliament of Georgia is a good practice that was introduced in 2014. However, it is important for the process of the adoption of the Strategy to have a real meaning in addition to the symbolic importance, which would be unthinkable without sharing the opinions of civil society organizations and interest groups in the process of consideration of the document.

The Democracy Research Institute will submit its opinions to the Parliament of Georgia, including those related to the issues that are not included in this Strategy. According to the organization's assessment, consideration of the above recommendations will have a positive impact on the quality of protection of human rights in the country.

Opinion of the Democracy Research Institute on the National Strategy for Human Rights Protection of Georgia for 2022-2030

 

[1] Parliament.ge (website), on the basis of the proposal of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee, the Bureau of the Parliament postponed the discussion period of the Strategy in the committee format by 30 days from October 11. Decision No. 188/9 of the Bureau of the Parliament of Georgia, October 10, available at: https://info.parliament.ge/file/1/BillReviewContent/307879

[2] The National Human Rights Strategy 2022-2030 provides for the broad involvement of civil society organizations in the strategy development process. p. 2.