99. Conformément aux engagements pris, le Gouvernement continue de coopérer efficacement avec le Conseil des droits de l’homme, notamment à travers une participation active à ses sessions et le coparrainage de résolutions portant sur les droits de l’homme et sur des questions humanitaires, ainsi qu’avec le Haut -Commissaire et le Haut-Commissariat aux droits de l’homme, et les organes conventionnels de l’ONU. La Géorgie présente régulièrement des rapports aux organismes des Nations Unies créés en vertu d’instruments relatifs aux droits de l’homme et accorde une importance particulière à l’application de leurs recommandations. En mai 2014, à l’invitation du Gouvernement, l’ancienne Haut -Commissaire, Mme Pillay, s’est rendue en Géorgie. Suite à l’invitation permanente adressée en 2010 à tous les titulaires de mandats au titre des procédures spéciales, ces dernières années la Géorgie a accueilli le Groupe de travail sur la détention arbitra ire (2011), un Rapporteur spécial sur le droit de réunion pacifique et la liberté d’association (2012), un Rapporteur spécial sur les droits de l’homme des personnes déplacées dans leur propre pays (2010, 2013), et un Rapporteur spécial sur la torture et autres peines ou traitements cruels, inhumains ou dégradants (2015).
100. En rappelant sa détermination à soutenir le Conseil des droits de l’homme et ses mécanismes, ainsi qu’à promouvoir les droits de l’homme et les libertés
fondamentales, la Géorgie a présenté sa candidature au Conseil des droits de l’homme pour la période 2016-2018.
101. S’agissant de l’exécution des engagements pris, la Géorgie a à son actif l’adoption de nombreuses mesures d’ordre législatif et institutionnel, qui se sont traduites pas des améliorations majeures en termes de protection et de promotion des droits de l’homme. Des informations détaillées sur l’exécution des engagements pris volontairement par la Géorgie figurent dans l’annexe au présent document.
VI. Perspectives et soutien
102. La Géorgie reconnaît l’importance des mesures de coopération internationale qui ont sensiblement contribué à renforcer les capacités dans le domaine des droits de l’homme et à améliorer les normes relatives aux droits de l’homme au niveau de l’État. Elle est pleinement disposée à coopérer davantage sur le plan international afin de renforcer le mécanisme de promotion et de protection des droits de l’homme dans le pays.
103. La Géorgie s’engage à s’employer davantage à partager son expérience de la mise en œuvre de réformes internationalement reconnue dans les domaines de la bonne gouvernance et de la prestation de services publics, qui servent l’objectif d’une réalisation effective des droits de l’homme, et à renforcer les efforts internationaux visant à partager les données d’expérience et à échanger les meilleures pratiques à l’appui de la promotion et de la protection des droits de l’homme.
104. La Géorgie compte bien qu’une plus large coopération s’exercera à l’échelle internationale en vue de protéger les droits de l’homme dans les territoires géorgiens occupés par la Fédération de Russie. Elle s’attend que l’assistance technique viendra appuyer l’échange de meilleures pratiques et de données d’expérience aux fin s du renforcement des capacités de protection des droits de l’homme dans le pays, ainsi que la diffusion des résultats les plus récents obtenus par d’autres États dans l’application des technologies modernes de l’information à l’élaboration des rapports nationaux prévus en vertu des traités internationaux.
VII. Conclusions
105. Ferme soutien de l’EPU et candidate au Conseil des droits de l’homme, la Géorgie est déterminée, pendant qu’elle sera membre du Conseil tout comme après, à soutenir le processus de l’EPU et à poursuivre sa pleine coopération avec le Con seil ainsi qu’avec tous les organes relevant du mécanisme des Nations Unies pour les droits de l’homme, à s’employer à trouver des moyens d’améliorer les méthodes de travail du Conseil, s’agissant notamment de renforcer ses capacités pour remédier à la situation en ce qui concerne les « trous noirs » dans le domaines des droits de l’homme à l’échelle mondiale, et à soutenir des initiatives permettant au Conseil d’être mieux à même de promouvoir les droits des groupes les plus vulnérables, l’accent étant mis en particulier sur les enfants, les femmes et les personnes déplacées.
La Géorgie continuera d’appuyer les efforts visant à assurer une action internationale rapide et efficace face aux nouveaux problèmes qui se posent dans le domaine des droits de l’homme, de promouvoir le droit à un environnement sain et de travailler en étroite collaboration avec toutes les ONG intéressées pour accroître leur représentation et leur participation dans les instances internationales sur les droits de l’homme.
Notes
1 This report has been prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia i n cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia, the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia, the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia, the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia, the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the Administration of the President, the Human Rights Secretariat of the Administration of the Prime-Minister, the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, the Constitutional Court of Georgia, the Supreme Court of Georgia, the High School of Justice of Georgia, the High Council of Justice of Georgia, the Gender Equality Council of the Parliament of Georgia, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, the Georgian Data Protection Supervisory Authority, the LEPL State Agency for Religious Issues of Georgia, LEPL Legal Aid Service of Georgia, the Central Election Commission of Georgia, and the Georgian National Communications Commission.
2 Resolution 1683 (2009) “The War between Georgia and Russia: One Year After”, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), paragraphs 5 and 7.
3 Consolidated Report on the Conflict in Georgia, Council of Europe (November 2014 - March 2015), 22 April 2015, SG/Inf (2015) 18, paragraph 44.
4 Government Decree No. 408 of October 28, 2011.
5 The progress reports of the CJRC are publicly available at www.justice.gov.ge.
6 While deciding whether or not to approve the plea agreement, a judge should be satisfied that there is enough evidence to prove the defendant’s guilt, that there was no coercion or ill -treatment of the defendant and that the sentence requested by the prosecutor is both lawful and fair. If the judge is not satisfied with these modalities he may return the case to the prosecutor or even decide to subject the case for hearing on merit.
7 The victim was granted a right to be heard by the court regarding the damage he/she might have suffered.
8 Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of Georgia CCPR/C/GEO/CO/4, 19 August 2014, paragraph 13.
9 The new regulations determine who shall not hold a license/authorization in the broadcasting sector and this prohibition applied to: the state administrative authority; officials or other employees of the public administrative authority; legal entity interdependent with the public (administrative) authority; a political party or its officials; a legal entity registered in an offshore zone; a legal entity with a share or stocks in it directly or indirectly owned by a legal entity registered in an offshore zone.
10 The declaration of compliance consists of the following information: identification data of a seeker of a license/authorization; data on superior officers and bodies of a seeker of a license/authorization;
a confirmation that a seeker of a license/authorization or its beneficial owner is not a person to whom it is prohibited to own a license/authorization in the broadcasting sector, the identification data of beneficial owners of a seeker of a license/authorization and information regarding the shares owned by them. Georgian Law on broadcasting also defines who the beneficial owner of the broadcaster is. A beneficial owner is defined as a person who on the basic of la w or a deal, receives or may receive monetary or other benefit from a broadcaster’s activity and has no obligation to transfer it to another person. And finally if a beneficial owner is a legal entity created to further ideal goals, or if a legal entity owner does not have a person who owns a substantial share, the beneficial owner is a member of its governing body.
11 Annually, no later than February 1, the broadcaster is obliged to provide the regulator as well as society with the following information: declaration of compliance (despite changes within a year);
on holding other licenses in the broadcasting sphere or authorization of broadcasting; on holding a share or stocks in any other broadcasting company; on possessing a periodical printed publication ; on holding a share or stocks in a periodical printed publication; on possessing a news agency; on holding a share or stocks in a news agency; on holding a share or at least 5% of stocks in any other company. If the holder of a share or stocks in its capital, a founder, other member, director, donor or his family member concurrently holds shares or stocks in other licensed holders or a person having broadcasting
authorization, a share or stocks in a periodical printed publication, a share or stocks in a news agency, a broadcaster shall also disclose and furnish the regulator with the above mentioned information.
12 Decree of the Government of Georgia N117 on the “Approval of the implementation of certain measures for partially recovering damages incurred by religious organizations existing in Georgia during the Soviet totalitarian regime” of January 27, 2014.
13 1 100 000 Gel for the Muslim Community of Georgia; 300 000 Gel for the Armenian Apostolic Christian Community; c) 200 000 Gel for the Roman-Catholic Community of Georgia; and 150 000 Gel for the Jewish Community.
14 Georgia is a contracting party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, (1966) and the European Convention on Human Rights, (1950).
15 The most significant changes have been introduced to the Law as a result of the judicial review by the Constitutional Court of Georgia. Thus, on 18 April 2011 by decision № 2/482,483,487,502 the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional the provision of the Law that had provided that only a political party, union, enterprise, organization or citizens’ action group could be a principal of an assembly or demonstration and ruled that any individual who initiates an assembly or demonstration may also act as its principal in relations with the local government. Furthermore, prior to the amendments the Law envisaged restriction on conducting an assembly or manifestation within a 20 meter perimeter of the following governmental or other buildings: the Parliament, the residency of the President, courts, the prosecutor’s office, police stations, detention centers, military objects, railways, airports, hospitals, institutions of diplomatic representatives, self -governmental agencies and enterprises, organization or agencies with special armed guards. This restriction has been annulled. Pursuant to the amendments restriction around courts and a number of other institutions (the residency of President, the Parliament, hospitals, institutions of diplomatic representatives, self -governmental agencies, enterprises, organization or agencies with special armed guards) has also been removed; restrictions have only been maintained 20 meters around the entrance to the Prosecutor’s office, the police (all police stations), penitentiary institutions, tempo rary detention facilities and law-enforcement bodies; railways, airports and ports. Also, it is prohibited to hold an assembly or manifestation inside and within 100 meters of the entrance of military units and sites.
The amendments were introduced pursuant to the decision of April 18, 2011 the Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court of Georgia. The Constitutional Court recognized as unconstitutional provisions of the Law on Manifestation that restricted assemblies within 20 meters of certain governmental offices, including the courts. The Court stated that such limitations are not in line with the Constitution, as in certain cases they make it impossible to conduct assemblies in front of government offices. Another significant amendment to the Law was caused by the decision of the Constitutional Court № 1/5/25 dated 14 December 2012. According to Article 5(3) that had been in force before this ruling, foreign citizens could not be persons responsible for the organization and holding of an assembly or demonstration. According to the Court’s decision the provision that debars a foreign citizen from being a responsible person is in conflict with the Constitution and must be removed from the Law.
16 In particular, when granting citizenship of Georgia to a citizen of another country under regular procedure or by way of restoration, as well as in the case of a withdrawal from citizenship, the presidential decree enters into force only after the person submits documents proving the
granting/withdrawal from the citizenship of another country. A simplified mechanism to neutralize minors is set up, as well as the possibility of losing Georgian citizenship due to the lack of consular registration while living in another country is rescinded.
17 Pursuant to the first amendments dated 28 December 2011, election subject, who receives the funding according to the Georgian legislation, will receive the supplementary funding with the amount of 10% if in the submitted party list (in all party list – for the local government elections) among every 10 candidate gender differences is represented by at least 20%. The present Law was re-amended on 29 July 2013 as described in the report.
18 Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Concluding observations on th e combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Georgia, 18 July 2014, CEDAW/C/GEO/CO/4 -5.
19 The Public Development Service Agency of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia in cooperation with the NGO - Innovations and Reforms Centre (IRC) started the process of registration Roma population residing in Georgia. In 2012-2014, 265 Roma people were included in the official database and 113 were granted different legal status; however, the process of the registration is not completed and is still in progress.
20 The Integration Program for Young People with special needs/disabilities has been implemented since 2013 to support and promote equal opportunities of youngsters with disabilities; The program for the protection of rights of children with special needs/disabilities has been implemented since 2014 for strengthening the social network of family members of children with special needs; the program “Changes for Equality” has been implemented since 2014, in order to raise awareness and develop basic skills among students on communication, behavior and attitude toward people with special needs or disadvantages.