Gov't Administration, Foreign Counterparts Share Experience on HR Strategy, Action Plan

Representatives of the Administration of the Government of Georgia met with representatives of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Turkey and international experts to discuss issues pertaining to the development, implementation, and reporting of the National Human Rights Strategy and Governmental Action Plan. The meeting was organized by and held at the initiative of the representatives of the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe.

During the meeting, Lela Akiashvili, advisor to the prime minister on human rights and gender equality issues, and Ana Buchukuri, head of the Human Rights Secretariat of the Administration of the Government, discussed in detail the process of developing the National Human Rights Strategy in Georgia and the experience in this field, including the methodology used to define strategic directions, goals, and objectives. In addition, the importance of the participation of international organizations and the civil society together with public agencies in this process was stressed.

Completed and ongoing institutional reforms in Georgia on gender equality, violence against women and domestic violence, and the empowerment of women were also discussed during the video conference. The importance of integrating the aforementioned issues in the National Human Rights Strategy document was emphasized.

"Georgia is among the countries – of which there are fewer than 40 – that have human rights strategies and action plans at the national level. Correspondingly, as a result of the Council of Europe's proposal, we share our experience with other countries and inform them of the steps that Georgia has taken over these years in terms of the development of both the action plan and the strategy," Lela Akiashvili noted.

The representatives of the Administration of the Government of Georgia also discussed the challenges that arise during the practical implementation of the objectives set out in the National Human Rights Strategy.

"We shared Georgia's experience in developing and implementing documents in the field of human rights policy with our colleagues. We provided them with information on the Human Rights Council, as the coordination mechanism with the highest legitimacy in the country," Ana Buchukuri stated.

At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed readiness for further cooperation and sharing of experience. At the initiative of the representatives of the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, meetings of a similar format are also planned with other countries.