Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge and the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Lasha Darsalia, have jointly launched the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027 in Tbilisi. Building on the work of previous years, the new Action Plan aims to support the country's efforts to honour its obligations as a Council of Europe member State.
The Deputy Secretary General underlined that the Action Plan will be based on what has already been achieved: "It builds on the Council of Europe's latest evaluations, monitoring reports and recommendations, as well as the Reykjavík Declaration agreed by Europe's leaders at our Summit of Heads of State and Government last May. But most importantly, the Action Plan is based on the priorities of Georgia itself."
The Action Plan was developed closely with the Georgian authorities. It aims to address reform priorities and help introduce legislative changes that will bring Georgia closer to Council of Europe standards and European Union integration requirements.
Hosting the event, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Lasha Darsalia, noted: "I would like to sincerely thank the Council of Europe for its fruitful co-operation and support. Their contribution is immeasurable in the process of implementing democratic reforms in Georgia. Consequently, it is important to emphasise the importance of our cooperation today, at this important stage of Georgia's integration into the European Union."
"In conclusion, we express our readiness to continue cooperation with the Council of Europe and all partners, including civil society, in order to implement the Action Plan and to further strengthen the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Georgia," said the First Deputy Minister.
Under the Action Plan, the Council of Europe and the Georgian authorities have agreed to carry forward jointly, through co-operation programmes, reforms aimed at enhancing the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court case-law at national level, aligning national legislation and the practice of anti-discrimination with European standards, promoting gender equality, enhancing the independence and accountability of the judicial system, improving the electoral legislation and practice, furthering reform of the penitentiary, probation and crime prevention systems, advancing the compliance of national practices with European standards in the field of media and internet, improving the quality of local democracy, strengthening the protection of economic and social rights, furthering the development of youth policies, facilitating the transition of young legal professionals into work, and encouraging civil society participation in decision making at all levels.
The New Action Plan for Georgia is launched in the year when the Council of Europe celebrates its 75th anniversary and when Georgia marks its 25th anniversary of becoming the 41st European nation to join the continent's leading human rights organisation.
