The protests against the reintroduction of Georgia's law on transparency of foreign influence have been consistent since the reintroduction of it. The situation escalated as police clashed with demonstrators, leading to injuries and arrests on April 16. Police aggressively dispersed protesters behind parliament, using pepper spray and physical force. 13 peaceful demonstrators have been detained. Throughout the night, Georgian non-governmental organizations diligently searched detention centers for the detainees, engaging with them, documenting rights violations. Journalists covering the events also faced violence from law enforcement. The bill's first vote was postponed for a day due to lengthy parliamentary debates, while tens of thousands continued protests outside. On April 17, the Georgian Parliament passed the law “on transparency of foreign influence” in its first reading with 83 votes in favor and none against, despite strong opposition from international partners, opposition MPs and politicians, and ongoing public protests near the Parliament building. The protests remained peaceful, however, police arrested two more people, one of whom they said had a weapon. President Zourabichvili appealed to European leaders, denouncing the bill as a threat to Georgia's European aspirations. Several high-profile Georgian sportspeople made posts expressing opposition to the draft law and supporting country’s European future. The reintroduced legislation faced renewed criticism from Western officials after the first reading. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, called on Georgian Dream to withdraw the bill, stating that it contradicts fundamental EU principles and values. The United Nations human rights office also urged Georgian authorities to withdraw the draft law. In Washington, the State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel also reiterated the US’s concern that the foreign agent bill could “stigmatize civil society organizations working to improve the lives of Georgian citizens and media organizations operating within Georgia.” The bill has yet to pass its second and third readings, although this time, unlike last year, without an accelerated procedure. The ruling majority is expected to pass the bill in its final, third reading on May 17. The law's enactment would undermine democratic principles and stifle civil society, drawing parallels to restrictive measures in Russia.

Tbilisi.Transparency International Georgia publishes a joint statement of organizations. "Yesterday, on April 11, "Georgian Dream" published on its official Facebook page the message of the general secretary of the party, the mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, with the following content: "No union is worth giving up the interests of my country and people." "Georgian Dream" is already spreading similar messages openly.  Recently, the large-scale anti-Western campaign, the attempt to pass the Russian law, and the neglect of the appeals of Georgia's European and American friends make us think that "Georgian Dream" is trying to change the western course of the country. We remind the government that Georgia's Euro-Atlantic course is the unwavering will and choice of the Georgian people, which is confirmed in Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia.  This article obliges the government to take all measures to join the European Union and NATO. The attempt to adopt the Russian law and the rhetoric of the party's high-ranking officials against joining the European Union are a betrayal of the Constitution and the Georgian people." More.. Source: Transparency International Georgia

"CENN expresses its deep concern about the introduction of the "Foreign Agent Law" and calls on the Parliament to suspend the review process and withdraw it.  We appeal to each member of the Parliament of Georgia to show personal responsibility and spare no effort to maintain the country's democratic, European course Strategic partners have already called on Georgia to withdraw the draft law.  We also heard explanations from them about reviewing the progress of joining the European Union, which is a loss of a real chance to ensure our national interests and the well-being of our citizens.  The weakening of positions at the international level has a direct impact on the country's security and economic development..." More... Source: CENN

Georgian non-governmental and media organizations published a joint statement: "We, the Georgian media and non-governmental organizations, vehemently oppose the Russian law reintroduced by the authorities. “Georgian Dream” breaking its own word and deceiving people is directed not only against Georgian media and Georgian non-governmental organizations but also against every citizen and the European future of Georgia. Georgian non-governmental organizations help people. Passing this Russian law will leave children and women victims of violence vulnerable; persons with disabilities, scientists, workers, and young people; It will stop helping vulnerable families, farmers, displaced, homeless persons, and brave people fighting for their rights. The government wants to not cover the voice of people living in the regions, who inform the public about their plight through local, independent media.  These and the hostile laws introduced this week aim to divide the population, damage the country’s European future, and abolish freedom of speech. This is the government’s response to the hundreds of facts of violence, corruption, illegality, and discrimination that Georgian non-governmental organizations and independent media expose and publicize.  The European Union, the United Nations, NATO, the OSCE, the USA, and other international partners have declared the authoritarian character of the Russian law and its incompatibility with democracy, and after the recall of the law last year, they openly congratulated the Georgian people on their great victory.  This law is a Russian authoritarian tool to suppress freedom of speech. Its adoption will make it impossible to open negotiations with the EU at the end of the year. Instead of fulfilling the 9 steps defined by the European Union, the government, with this law, separates us from the European Union and immeasurably harms the democratic and secure future of Georgia.  Accepting the Russian law would be an attack on the main Georgian values – a sense of dignity, independence, and civil solidarity. This law, in accordance with the will of the Georgian people, should be withdrawn from the parliament. Russian law is not Georgia’s choice!" More... Source: civil society foundation

Georgian non-governmental organizations issue a statement and call on the leaders of "Georgian Dream" to explain to the Georgian people whether they were instructed to act in favor of the interests of a foreign state.  In particular, the statement mentions that the representatives of the party, the author of the "Russian Law,"  have been working in organizations funded by the USA and the European Union for decades: Irakli Kobakhidze – worked for 9 years in US and UN organizations;  Shalva Papuashvili – worked for 17 years in the German foundation;  Givi Mikanadze – received funding from the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the United Nations, and the European Union for 10 years;  Rati Yonatamishvili – received funding from the European Union, USAID, and other international funds for 9 years;  Nikoloz Samkharadze – worked for 11 years in EU and UN programs;  Archil Talakvadze – worked for 3 years in US organizations and “The Soros Foundation”;  Maya Bitadze – worked for 15 years in UN, OSCE, and World Bank organizations Some of them, as representatives of donor organizations, worked with Georgian non-governmental organizations on justice, equality, self-government, and other issues.  "Today, they declare that those organizations, which they have represented for years, act in the interests of foreign states and are a threat to Georgia.  We call on them to publicly explain to the Georgian people whether someone instructed them to act in favor of the interests of a foreign state and, if so, to name specific cases. Georgian non-governmental organizations acted, are acting, and will continue to act to achieve the goals stipulated by their statutes, to protect the interests of Georgian citizens, and to strengthen democratic public institutions in Georgia." More... Source: civil society foundation

ICNL published a publication: "2024 Georgia Draft Law on Foreign Influence Transparency". "On April 3, 2024, the Georgian Dream party registered in the parliament the draft Law of Georgia on Foreign Influence Transparency (“the Georgian draft law”). The Georgian draft law is identical to the draft Law of Georgia on Transparency of Foreign Influence #07–3/293; 14.02.2023 that was withdrawn from parliament following mass protests against it by a broad cross-section of Georgians in March 2023. The only notable difference is the replacement of the term ““agents of foreign influence” with the term “implementer organization of foreign power’s interest.” The Georgian draft law is similar to other laws, specifically targeting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the purpose of stigmatization. This group of foreign influence registration laws includes the Russian foreign agents law (2012), the Kyrgyz Law on Foreign Representatives (2024), Israel’s NGO law (2016), the draft El Salvador foreign agents law (2012), Hungary’s NGO transparency law (repealed) (2017), and the draft foreign agents law in the Republika Srpska (2024). These contrast with other laws and legislative proposals, including in the European Union (proposal), United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and elsewhere, that do not specifically target NGOs but instead focus on providing transparency for certain types of activities undertaken on behalf of a foreigner or foreign government. These laws and initiatives regulate relationships involving all entities and individuals without singling out NGOs and independent mass media. Since the introduction of the draft law, leaders of multilateral institutions, including the Council of Europe’s Secretary General and the NATO Secretary General, have said the revival of the draft Law “raises serious concerns” and “will undermine the whole idea of making Georgia a stronger democratic society.” The European Union’s top spokesperson added, “Transparency should not be used as an instrument to limit civil society’s capacity to operate freely.” source: ICNL 

Tbilisi. Europe Day at Expo Georgia promises to be an unforgettable experience, offering something for everyone to enjoy! Mark your calendars for May 11, 2024, and make your way to Expo Georgia in Tbilisi for a day filled with fun, excitement and cultural exploration. Stay tuned on our EU in Georgia Facebook page for more updates and learn more here: https://eu4georgia.eu/europe-day-2024/ Source: EU in Georgia

Tbilisi. The Centre for Multiparty Democracy (EECMD) published a statement. Organization condemns the reintroduction of the Russian Law (draft Transparency of Foreign Influence law) by Georgian Dream.  „Last year, Georgian Dream promised both the Georgian and international communities that it would not reintroduce this law. By doing so now, it is breaking its promise and deceiving the public. If enacted, this law will abolish independent CSOs, media, and educational institutions. It is also clear that Georgian Dream fears a truly competitive and fair electoral process. This law would make holding free, fair, and competitive elections impossible, thus undermining its legitimacy.  We urge Georgian Dream to immediately cease its efforts to enact this law and to refrain from diverting the country from its democratic and European path“.  More… Source: EECMD

Georgia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the draft law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence”: "The announcement by the ruling party in Georgia to re-introduce a draft law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” raises serious concerns. The EU recalls the public pledge of the Georgian government and the ruling party to “unconditionally withdraw” such legislation last year. The EU regrets that it is once again being considered despite strong public and international reactions in March 2023.  Step 9 includes a recommendation for Georgia to make sure that civil society can operate freely and Step 1 calls on Georgia to fight disinformation against the EU and its values. Transparency should not be used as an instrument to limit civil society’s capacity to operate freely.  We encourage the political leaders in Georgia to adopt and implement reforms that are in line with the stated objective of joining the European Union, as supported by a large majority of Georgia’s citizens. The EU calls on Georgia to uphold its commitment to the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and human rights." More... Source: European Union in Georgia

The parliamentary majority's plan to attempt once again to pass the draft law known as the 'Russian law' poses a dual threat: it endangers the stability and functioning of civil society, while also jeopardizing Georgia's EU accession process. As the leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, said at a briefing held on April 3, the decision was made after consultation with the political council of the ruling party. According to his own statement, the draft law would be submitted to the parliament with practically unchanged text, but instead of the term ‘agent of foreign influence, the new version of the draft law would use ‘organization pursuing the interests of a foreign power’. On the same day, the ‘Georgian Dream’ submitted the draft law to the parliament. According to the parliamentary majority leader, "the civil sector remains the most non-transparent sector in Georgia" and non-governmental organizations are involved in implementing "revolutionary scenarios" and financing extremism. According to him, NGOs are conducting a Soviet-style campaign against the independence of the judiciary, spreading pseudo-liberal ideology, attempting to undermine public trust in the Georgian Orthodox Church, and engaging in actions against the country's energy independence, as well as what he terms 'LGBT' propaganda. Additionally, he accuses civil society organizations of attempting to manipulate election outcomes and of waging a covert war against Russia. According to Mdinaradze, this law will ‘in the long term’ prevent attempts to artificially incite unrest in Georgia. It is noteworthy that the decision of the parliamentary majority to re-submit the initiative to the parliament followed statements made by the ruling party and representatives of the executive government in recent weeks. During these statements, so-called civil society organizations were accused of discrediting the judicial system by advocating for the ‘vetting system’ and engaging in LGBTQ+ propaganda. Considering the well-known events of March 2023 and the subsequent developments, the initiation and potential approval of the mentioned draft law will harm the civil space, resulting in: Disruptions in the functioning and activities of civil society and its individual members; Activation of hostile rhetoric and discredit campaigns directed against the civil sector; •Reduction or complete elimination of opportunities for cooperation between the state and civil society organizations;  Hindrance of the capacity of civil society organizations to advocate for and provide services, especially to vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the mentioned initiative and the consequent restriction of civil space will exacerbate the situation regarding human rights protection in Georgia. It is important to note that with the upcoming parliamentary elections of 2024 in mind, the submission of the draft law to parliament further exacerbates the level of polarization in the country, thereby negatively affecting the state of democracy. It is essential to recognize that the potential approval of the draft law could hinder the progress of implementing the nine steps necessary for Georgia to start negotiations to join the European Union. It is imperative to consider the negative evaluations from various European Union structures last year, when the law was first initiated and supported in its initial reading. According to these assessments, the law was incompatible with EU values and standards and contradicted Georgia's stated goal of becoming part of the Union. Also, the final adoption of the law would have a serious impact on the relations between the European Union and Georgia. It is additionally noteworthy that the press spokesperson of the EU High Representative has expressed serious concern over the ruling party's announcement regarding the reintroduction of the draft law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’.

Guria.On March 24, Education Development and Employment Center organized a workshop for young people living in Guria. he workshop was organized within the framework of the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) funded project “Civil Society STAR Initiative: Sustainable, Transparent and Accountable Civil society Organizations (CSOs) for the Development of Georgia” (2021-2025). The project is implemented by the Consortium led by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and composed of the following CSOs: Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Civil Society Institute (CSI), Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC), and Institute for European Politics (IEP). More... Source: Education Development and Employment Center

Imereti.The Education Development and Employment Center started cooperation with Kutaisi public schools to promote volunteer activities, within which the schools started implementing various volunteer activities, one of which was the activity carried out by Public School N17 of Kutaisi. As part of the International Book Reading Week, a dedicated group of student volunteers took it upon themselves to collect books and distribute them amongst the children residing in the nearby village. The project is implemented by the Consortium led by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and composed of the following CSOs: Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Civil Society Institute (CSI), Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC), and Institute for European Politics (IEP). More... Source: Volunteer

Kakheti. Get more familiar with the works of Pankisi Women's Council on raising the awareness of local women around issues of reproductive health and available medical services. The organisation helps women settled in small mountainous villages of Pankisi where the topics of reproductive health are silenced by the tradition.  The Elder Women Council has implemented this initiative with support of the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), within the framework of the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung funded project 'Civil Society STAR Initiative'.  More… Source: euneighbourseast.eu

Tbilisi. The EU Delegation recently invited people to ask their questions about what the EU candidate status means for Georgia and its citizens. Here are our answers!  Watch the EU Ambassador Pawel Herzcynski addressing some of your questions below. Stay tuned for more answers coming soon.  Check out the whole Q&A on webpage... Source: eu4georgia.eu

Tbilisi. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released the 5th Round Monitoring reports for Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, and Ukraine, developed by the Anti-Corruption Network (OECD/ACN). About this Georgian CSO’s published joint statement: “Georgia is urged to re-join the OECD/ACN process in alignment with the European Commission's recommendation”. More… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Coalition for Independent and Transparent Judiciary shares concerns regarding recent statements from members of the "Georgian Dream" party. “These remarks, which seek to discredit judges holding differing opinions, have a concerning impact on the freedom of expression of judges. Such rhetoric not only undermines judicial independence but also jeopardizes the country's path toward a European future”. More… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi.A Coalition of 12 civil society organizations led by the Civil Society Foundation has developed a detailed vision outlining how the nine steps spelled out by the European Commission should be effectively fulfilled to move to the next stage in European integration and achieve the opening of negotiations on accession to the EU.  The Coalition will continue to monitor the progress of the nine steps relying on the presented vision. CSOs will work out recommendations and make efforts to support both government accountability, transparency of reforms and boosting of inclusiveness.  Meanwhile, the Coalition holds meetings with relevant stakeholders. The goal of these working meetings is to share the vision of civil society and exchange opinions on the reforms that need to be implemented to fulfill nine steps.  More… Source: Civil Society Foundation

Tbilisi. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (MFA), through its Department of European Neighborhood (EUN), in partnership with UN Women Europe and Central Asia Regional office, proudly announces the launch of the "Women’s Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies" programme.  The four-year initiative, set to unfold across Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, is a decisive step towards enhancing conflict prevention, mediation, and the fortification of democratic resilience in three countries with a special focus on their EU accession journey.  The project in Georgia aims to enhance human rights and resilience in communities affected by conflict, targeting young women for inclusion in peace and rights activism, and improving economic opportunities for the most marginalized, such as IDP and conflict-affected women. The initiative represents a significant commitment to advancing gender equality, reducing disparities, and fostering sustainable development in Georgia and the broader region.  Source: UN Women Georgia

Tbilisi. To mark Open Data Week, IDFI publushed Open Data Toolkit.  The practical toolkit provides the definition and basic principles of open data, as well as modern techniques and tools for data collection, processing, analysis and visualization.  More…  Source: IDFI

Tbilisi.The Civil Society Foundation publishes the appeal of public organizations to European Commissioner Oliver Varhei. "We are pleased that in December 2023 European Union decided to grant Georgia Candidate status.  It is an important step forward on the way towards EU membership for our country, which should be accompanied by speedy reforms in 9 priority areas identified by the EU Commission.  The involvement of civil society in the legislative and policy-making process still remains one of the key components across these nine steps. The undersigned organizations express readiness to play an active role, contributing to the European Integration and democratic transformation of Georgia, ensuring that the aspirations of the majority of the Georgian citizens to join the EU are adequately reflected in state policies." More... Source: Civil Society Foundation

Tbilisi.On March 5, Human Rights Center welcomed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Georgia, H.E. Bergljot Hovland in its office. During the meeting, HRC representatives and Ambassador Hovland discussed the state of human rights and challenges in the work of the civil society organizations in Georgia. HRC members informed the Ambassador about their cooperation with local and international organizations, about ongoing projects.  The perspectives of future cooperation with the Embassy was also discussed. More... Source: Human Rights Center

Imereti.Local Democracy Agency Georgia held an online consultation meeting with representatives of civil society organizations and active citizens of Tkibuli municipality. The purpose of the meeting was to research the needs of civil society organizations operating in Tkibuli. he meeting was held within the framework of the project "Civil Society STAR Initiative'' , which is supported by the European Union (EU) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS). More... Source: LDA Georgia