Tbilisi. Children and adolescents have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. UNICEF is particularly concerned about the impact on those that have inequitable access to basic services and resources. “Children living in overcrowded households or in inadequate conditions, like lacking hand-washing and other hygiene facilities, are particularly vulnerable to rapid COVID-19 transmission. According to UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 29,800 children in Georgia have no handwashing facility with water and soap in the household. This means they are exposed to a greater risk of COVID-19 infection. All children should continue to learn during the ongoing crisis and be able to safely return to school. Children who are already marginalized by lack of access to digital tools and internet connectivity, favourable home learning environments and parental support, risk falling further behind”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: www.unicef.org

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) demands protection of children from gambling industry. “Engagement of children in gambling, along with the high rate of child poverty and gaps in the education system, remains a serious challenge that increases the risk of chronic poverty and psychosocial problems. To ensure a safe environment and healthy development for minors, EMC calls on the Government of Georgia to enact strict gambling regulation mechanisms as soon as possible and prevent engagement of minors in gambling”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association submitted its views regarding the package of amendments to the Labor Code, initiated by members of parliament, to Healthcare and Human Rights Committees of the Parliament of Georgia. “Despite the fact that the amendments to the “Labor Code” and the bill of Georgia on “Labor Inspection” increase guarantees for legal protection of those employed, GYLA considered it necessary to submit additional comments to the Parliament of Georgia in order to facilitate improvement of the bill and elimination of existing shortcomings”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes an article: Theories and models of political participation of non-dominant ethnic groups - review. “Review of the present literature aims at criticizing opinions in regard to the issue of political participation of non-dominant ethnic groups in the political life of the country in the light of academic knowledge and observations. The purpose of the review is not to declare a final and firm position on this issue. On the contrary, this work is an attempt to initiate an open discussion related to political participation, which will become the basis for elaboration of transformational policies based on academic knowledge”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Center for Participation and Development together with its partners from Civic Solidarity Platform had an amazing opportunity to be part of first fully online OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Addressing All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination organized by the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship with the support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on May 25-26 . „This meeting was a platform to exchange views among OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions, and other executive structures and a variety of international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders on the implementation of commitments related to addressing all forms of intolerance and discrimination. Most importantly, during the session, we focused on the case of our late colleague Vitali Safarov and his murder on the grounds of hate, which is now being considered by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals“. Read more... Source: The organization’s page in the social network

New Thinking Institute launches an innovative project. “Despite the fact that a number of state and non-governmental organizations have been implementing awareness raising projects for years, the problem of early marriage is still acute in Georgia. Due to early marriage women do not have access to education and employment opportunities. Marriage at a young age also significantly hinders their engagement in social life. To resolve above-mentioned problems, New Thinking Institute offers parents a project - “School of Mothers”, which is going to bring 20 volunteer mothers, living in Sadakhlo, Molaogli and Khuldara villages, together to participate in 10 months seminars and trainings in various subjects, including civic education, Georgian and English (elementary level) languages, nature, mathematics, computer programs. Within the framework of the project, we will also carry out social activities, cooperate with local self-government and schools. Participants of “School of Mothers” have already been selected”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to planned amendments to the Law on Public Health and considers that the presented bill contains direct and obvious risks of gross violation of human rights.  “Turning the initiative into law gives relevant bodies of the executive government the authority to take almost the same measures in the ordinary situation, which they have been able to do only in a state of emergency. The current version of the Law on Public Health has a lot of gaps and it certainly needs to be corrected, but not in the way of consolidating uncontrollable authority of the executive government at the legislative level. The presented initiative normalizes the state of emergency and, in fact, gives unlimited authority to the executive government, as the bill does not envisage even minimal parliamentary or judicial control over the decision-making process related to above mentioned issues”, - is noted in the statement of the organization.  Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to information released by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, on May 13 a legislative initiative (N07-3/450) of Dimitri Khundadze, Ilia Nakashidze, Vladimer Kakhadze, Zurab Khachidze, Koba Nakaidze and Dimitri Mkheidze, members of the Healthcare and Social Issues Committee, related to an amendment to be made into the law of Georgia on Public Health was submitted to the Parliament of Georgia.  “We consider that though adoption of relevant regulations in regard to spread of the new coronavirus serves a legitimate purpose, transfer of authority of restriction of rights, mentioned in the bill, to the Government of Georgia does not comply with the standard of the Constitution of Georgia and the above restrictions should be imposed only in accordance with law. It should also be noted that the bill allows restriction of mentioned rights in a disproportionate volume and is not focused on a necessity that follows a specific case”, - is noted in the statement released by the organization.  Read more…   Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. According to information released by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, 4 years have passed since murder of Giga Otkhozoria. "Giga was killed by so called Abkhaz border guards on May 19, 2016, near the occupation line of Abkhazia, at the checkpoint of Khurcha Nabakevi. The case of violation of the right of Otkhozoria to live is under revision by the European Court of Human Rights. Interests of Otkhozoria family members are defended by GYLA and EHRAC. Internal communication between parties in the European Court has already been completed and we are waiting for announcement of the decision”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International - Georgia publishes a blog post: What novelties are envisaged by the new bill on protection of people with disabilities. “The following important novelties should be appraised positively in the bill: Facilitation of people with disabilities in the process of a legal proceeding: a person with disability will have the opportunity to receive a state legal assistance, besides, a special plaintiff institution will also be established; The law will defines principles of both reasonable adaptation and universal design. It is important to make sure that norms envisaging guarantees for protection of rights of people with disabilities are not obscure and contain enforcement mechanisms. A number of issues in this regard require refinement and improvement...” Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Coalition for Equality responds to the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.  “In different countries, along with gathering and manifestation of the LGBTQI community in the public space, May 17 is marked to spread information in regard to various needs that the community faces. In Georgia, LGBTQI community organizations and non-governmental organizations working with the community have been trying from year to year to give more content to May 17 and turn this day into a day that illustrates challenges faced by the community. However, in the circumstances of a number of obstacles, they failed to achieve this and IDAHOT remains a day of manifestation of homophobia by the state and society”, - is noted in the statement.  Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), on behalf of employees, unlawfully dismissed from Adjara Public Broadcaster, has applied to both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation in and criminal prosecution against Giorgi Kokhreidze, Director of Adjara Broadcaster. “In its comprehensive review, submitted to law-enforcement authorities, EMC provides evaluations, including those of international organizations (OSCE, Council of Europe, Reporters Without Borders), Public Defender and local organizations working on human rights, which openly talk about facts of interfering in the editorial policy of the broadcaster, persecution of its journalists and control over it”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to the fact of dismissal of Malkhaz Rekhviashvili, Chairman of the Alternative Trade Union and host of the TV program “Hashtag”, from his job at Adjara Public Broadcaster. “The organization considers that this decision, taken by the new management of the broadcaster, is a continuation of the process of persecution of critical thinking, weakening of the Alternative Trade Union and destruction of the independence of the broadcaster, which is already becoming alarming”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. With the joint initiative of UN Women and the Public Defender’s Office in Georgia, the free online course on Gender Equality has been developed. The online course is available for anyone to enroll. Use your time efficiently during quarantine, take the course and find out more about #GenderEquality. The initiative is carried out within the project “A Joint Action for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Georgia”, funded by the Government of Norway. Read more… Source: Social network

Tbilisi. According to information of the Georgian Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT), the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims publishes a report related to so called “Conversion Therapy”. “The report contains a detailed review of methods practiced by different countries and the impact that these interventions have on humans”. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The pandemic has particularly negative effects on the rights of vulnerable groups, such as stateless persons, asylum seekers and persons with international protection. The Public Defender's Office is actively working to protect the rights of these beneficiaries and is ready to provide remote legal consultations and aid to these individuals via hotline. The beneficiaries can contact us via 24/7 hotline: 1481. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a blog post: Chronicle of the three-month persecution of Adjara Public Broadcaster journalists. “This process started in April 2019 with an arbitrary and politicized impeachment case of Natia Kapanadze and took aggressive forms after appointment of a new director. Overall, the new management has fired majority of employees, having key positions in the news service, or transferred them to another job”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Coalition for Equality releases a statement in regard to needs of those remained out of the anti-crisis plan. “Despite consultations with community organizations, neither the needs of LGBTQI people have been considered in the anti-crisis plan. In the given circumstance, queer people, remained without income and job, who fail to have a support of their family members or a public solidarity, are threatened with staying out on the street. Their urgent needs, including subsidy for rent and provision of alternative housing or shelter, have been left beyond the state anti-crisis assistance program. In the process of overcoming the crisis, response of the Interagency Coordinating Council to demands of community organizations is fragmentary and does not respond proactively to those complex challenges that are in the agenda”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to the International Workers’ Day. The organization calls on the state to create a legal and institutional framework oriented on protection of rights of workers, flexible mechanisms for execution of existing legislation and solid standards of social protection. “In Georgia, a large part of workers become victims of neglect of labor legislation and violation of labor rights on a daily basis. However, in the circumstances of the pandemic it especially intensified. Dismissal of people from their work without prior notice and respective compensation, forced release of employees on unpaid leave, arbitrary reduction of salary or refusal to pay happened to take place systematically. Current situation has brought vulnerability of workers to the surface and revealed that there is lack of fair legislative arrangement, effective institutions and solid guarantees for social protection”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association releases a statement in regard to the International Workers’ Day. “First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to representatives of the profession that, in the conditions of the pandemic, cares for health and safety of society in both Georgia and the world. The pandemic has clearly shown importance of work of not only doctors, but also nurses, attendants, people working in service and others fields, who, nowadays, have to work in difficult working conditions in exchange for minimal reimbursement. We also note that the state has an increased obligation to protect working conditions and safety of these people. Georgia, as a social state, has a constitutional obligation to take care of strengthening principles of social justice, equality and solidarity within society. Lack of a unified labor policy at the state level and a failure to properly realize importance of guaranteeing labor rights have a negative effect on social protection and stability of an ordinary employee, which fact, in turn, is detrimental to the well-being of the state”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to needs of socially vulnerable groups in the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and calls on the Government and municipalities of Georgia to ensure their right to adequate nutrition. “The anti-crisis plan, which was presented by the Government of Georgian on April 24, includes social assistance packages for various target groups, however, several vulnerable groups remain out of them”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation publishes an article by Manana Kochladze, the founder of “Green Alternative”: COVID-19, environmental protection and future perspectives. “The COVID-19 pandemic turns out to be a serious challenge for modern societies. Thousands of people have died as a result of rapid spread of the disease around the world, borders have been closed and many people have lost their jobs due to isolation and quarantine. As it was expected, the Pandemic has affected poor population most of all and further increased poverty and inequality in an already unequal world”. Read more… Source: ge.boell.org