An overall general climate of support for protection of minority rights prevails in Georgia, but more action from the authorities is needed to foster a climate of mutual respect and dialogue between all persons in society, including efforts among the general population to view and accept persons belonging to national minorities as an equal, integral and valued part of Georgian society. These are key findings of the new Opinion on Georgia published today by one of the Council of Europe expert bodies, Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (See also the summary of the Opinion in Georgian as well as the comments of the Government).
The Advisory Committee has observed several positive developments in the fourth monitoring cycle. The mandate of the Public Defender has been considerably reinforced: he/she is now entitled to address obligatory requests for information to private persons and deal with complaints related to administrative proceedings. The authorities have successfully dealt with the Committee’s previous recommendation relating to the costs for renting the premises of the Public Defender’s headquarters, and clear efforts are made regarding the implementation of legislation related to racial discrimination. Specific measures to facilitate access to education have also been taken.
However, despite the generally positive picture and acknowledging the difficult circumstances in which the Georgian authorities implement the Framework Convention, the Advisory Committee calls for more action on their part to advance societal integration of all national minorities by taking concrete steps to promote trust, mutual respect and understanding in the Georgian society, through among others awareness-raising activities among the general population.
The Advisory Committee is deeply concerned by the fact that its previous recommendations regarding the religious rights of persons belonging to national minorities have not been implemented. Reiterating that effective access to places of worship is a key element of the manifestation of religion, the Advisory Committee finds it worrying that up until now the authorities did not set out any time limits within which restitution of the property confiscated during the Soviet period should have been ensured. In addition, new problems regarding irregular takeover of religious properties seem to arise. This coupled with a tendency to view certain minorities as a security issue is of concern as it leads to discrimination in terms of freedom of religion.
Access to Georgian citizenship remains problematic for persons belonging to some national minorities, due in most cases to strict language requirements and other practical barriers. Equal access to rights is another outstanding concern, particularly due to the lack of knowledge of the Georgian language. In this vein, the Advisory Committee urges the authorities to ensure effective, targeted and evidence-based measures, in co-operation with minority representatives, to address inequalities faced by persons belonging to national minorities, Armenians, Azeris, Kists and Roma in particular.
Notwithstanding the authorities’ efforts in the teaching in minority languages and of the state language, the quality of teaching in minority facilities and schools overall often remains unsatisfactory, and the curriculum content about the national minority cultures and languages is sporadic and insufficient. On a positive note, the gradual implementation of a bilingual teaching model, since September 2023, if implemented in conformity with the provisions of the Framework Convention, could pave the way for remedying several problems in the field of education.
Moreover, despite notable promotion of the cultures and identities of persons belonging to national minorities, the contribution of minority cultures to the Georgian cultural heritage is not sufficiently recognised by the majority. Sustainable funding, including for maintenance or reconstruction of cultural heritage monuments, as well as allocation of suitable premises, with a particular focus on numerically smaller minorities, are necessary.
Insufficient and unsatisfactory participation of persons belonging to minorities in Georgia’s political, social and economic life is also of concern. The Council of Ethnic Minorities and the Council of Religions, under the auspices of the Public Defender, the main vehicle through which national minority representatives engage in official dialogue with the authorities, are inclusive but do not serve as systematic and formalised consultation mechanisms. The Advisory Committee says consultation with these bodies should be made compulsory. It further urges the authorities to ensure that the legislative framework contains effective mechanisms for persons belonging to national minorities, including women, to be adequately represented in elected and executive bodies at all levels.
The Advisory Committee finally urges the authorities to take all steps to effectively prepare for the next census to take place in 2024, including by adopting and publicly sharing the new census form which should include the possibility of declaring multiple affiliations, as well as an open-ended and optional list of questions on ethnicity and language.