2022-12-10
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This date went down in history as a breakthrough in the protection of human rights. On that day, the civilized world agreed that all human beings, regardless of their affiliations and differences, enjoy inherent rights, and that every state is obligated to respect this.
Notably, the presently applicable Constitution of 1995 is grounded in the historical and legal legacy of the 1921 Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia-one that represented a progressive political and legal document in the then world's constitutional order and enshrined the protection of human rights as its primary goal. And it is in the spirit of said fundamental law that the principle of a social state was reflected as an individual article in the main text of the Constitution of Georgia as a result of the 2017 constitutional reform. In line with the will of the Georgian people, the team that came to power through the 2012 parliamentary elections set the unfaltering protection of the supremacy of constitutional law and human rights as its primary goal.
Our government's top priority is to create equal, free, and decent conditions for Georgia's citizens, regardless of their affiliations with one group or another, because we believe that, on the path to building a democratic state, it is a must to protect the interests of every group and individual and to cherish their legal status.
In this spirit, in 2014, the Government approved for the first time the 2014-2020 National Strategy of Georgia for the Protection of Human Rights. Three action plans were approved within the scope of the strategy. Over this period, the country's authorities have implemented important legislative amendments, and Georgian legislation has drawn closer to internationally recognized standards.
The Government of Georgia continues working in the direction of the protection of human rights. On September 5, 2022, the Government commended the second, 2022-2030 National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights. The strategy seeks to ensure the effective implementation of the legal framework in practice and encompasses such priorities as civil and political rights, judiciary and institutional democracy, economic and social rights, and the protection of vulnerable groups and the population affected by occupation. In the nearest future, work will commence on an action plan to ensure engagement from all stakeholders.
In addition, on October 25, 2022, the Government of Georgia approved the 2022-2024 National Action Plan of Georgia for the Implementation of the UN Security Council's Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security, and the Action Plan of Measures to Be Taken in 2022-2024 for Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and for Protecting Victims.
In today's challenging world, efforts toward caring for our country's citizens must double. The Government of Georgia reaffirms the state's commitment to the obligation of protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, which in turn stands for developing and carrying out a systemic, consistent, and long-term policy on the protection of human rights.
We strongly believe that, through our efforts and with support from international partners, we will draw even closer to the goal declared in Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia: to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Irakli Garibashvili
Prime Minister of Georgia