Archive for: Georgia

Georgia’s Minorities: Breaking Down Barriers to Integration

Assessment of the Needs of Religious Organizations in Georgia

Based on interviews with up to 70 representatives of 33 religious organizations in Georgia, this study identifies the challenges and needs of religious organizations, cases of violations of the freedom of religion and evaluates the state policy and practice in this regard. Furthermore, this research offers specific recommendations to the state institutions; the implementation of which […]

Second Report on progress by Georgia in fulfilling the requirements of the visa liberalisation roadmap

This document is the second Progress Report on the implementation by Georgia of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP). It provides a detailed analysis of the most relevant developments relating to the implementation of the so-called first phase VLAP benchmarks concerning the policy framework (legislation and planning). It also includes an assessment of possible migratory […]

Assessment document on the Implementation of the National Concept on Tolerance and Civic Integration and Action Plan for 2009-2014

The National Concept for Tolerance and Civic Integration is based on the Constitution of Georgia, as well as Georgia’s international responsibilities. In order to assure a broad public consensus, all interested parties were given the opportunity to participate in the process of developing the Tolerance and National Integration Strategy and Action Plan. The document was […]

Islam and Religious Transformation in Adjara

The Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located in the southwest corner of Georgia along the Turkish border, has been the scene of a peculiar religious transformation in the last two decades. Specifically, large segments of Adjara’s traditionally Muslim population have undergone a relatively quick rate of conversion to Christianity. Whereas the region’s population was predominantly Muslim […]

Georgia: Presidential Election 27 October 2013

Following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) on 19 September to observe the 27 October 2013 presidential election. The OSCE/ODIHR EOM assessed compliance of the electoral process with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, […]

Georgia in Transition

The Introduction of the report gives brief summaries of the main concerns and reflections  of the EU Special Adviser on Constitutional and Legal Reform and Human Rights in Georgia. The body of the report goes deeper into seven key areas in relation to human rights: judiciary, penitentiary, law enforcement, minority rights, political participation, freedom of […]

Institutions of Georgia for Governance on National Minorities: An Overview

This paper aims to discuss the institutional set-up around civil integration and minority protection issues in Georgia since the ‘Rose Revolution’, and the study reviews the state structures relevant for governance and legislative practices on civil integration and minority issues. It seeks to provide an overview of the institutional problems that beset civic integration by […]

Georgia’s Muslim Community: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

The principle objective of this paper is to examine the creation of the new Administration of Georgian Muslims; how and why it has been created and what its specific role, function and means of operating will be. Most importantly, it will examine how the administration has been received by Georgia’s Muslims and how it will […]

The Integration of National Minorities in the Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli provinces of Georgia

This paper aims to explore the extent to which national minorities in the Georgian provinces of Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti are integrated into the economic and political life of Georgia and to investigate how government policy in the aftermath of the Rose Revolution of November 2003 has affected the relationship between the state and minority communities […]