The FINANCIAL — TBILISI. The number of Georgians, who think that their rights are protected, has doubled in the last ten years.
Nevertheless, every second Georgian feels insecure about their personal data. Almost a third of the respondents (27% in average and 36% in Tbilisi) see labour rights as the most frequently abused human rights in Georgia. More than half think that the rights of national/ethnic (57%) and religious (59%) minorities are violated.
These are some of the findings of the nationwide research commissioned by the European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to examine public perceptions and awareness about human rights and access to justice in Georgia.
The results of the survey were released on July 26, 2017, at a public presentation attended by representatives of the Georgian Government, Parliament, human rights institutions, international organizations, diplomatic missions, civil society and the media.
“Human rights are at the very heart of EU’s relations with Georgia. We assist the government to develop consistent policies and effective protection mechanisms, and we also work to open up the discussion space for civil society and people,” said Vincent Rey, Head of the Cooperation Section of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.
The EU/UNDP research provides a comprehensive picture of public perceptions related to human rights and access to justice in Georgia, and assesses human rights awareness in the Georgian society.
“Findings of this research will assist the government, civil society and human rights institutions, as well as international partners of Georgia, in our joint efforts to promote the respect for human rights and achieve just, peaceful and sustainable development for all”, said Shombi Sharp, Acting Head of UNDP in Georgia.
The research “Human Rights and Access to Justice in Georgia: Public Perceptions and Awareness” is based on the results of 5,000 face-to-face interviews in four regions of Georgia, 14 focus group discussions and 29 in-depth interviews with representatives of four target groups: public sector, business, non-governmental organizations and LGBT community. Wherever possible, the results are compared with the findings of the previous study commissioned by UNDP in 2012.
The research was carried out in September 2016 – February 2017 by the Georgian polling agency ACT, under the EU programmes “Human Rights for All” and “Justice for All”. These initiatives assist Georgia to implement its National Human Rights Strategy 2014-2020 and promote reforms in the justice system.
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