THE FOURTH MEETING OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FORUM

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The fourth meeting of the Local Authorities Forum was organized by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia. The purpose was to introduce the training program and curriculum for capacity building on human rights and anti-discrimination at the local level.

The online event was organized within the project “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at the Local Level in Georgia.” Matsatso Narimanidze, the Vice President of NALAG, Tatiana Bokuchava and Lasha Archvadze, the deputy executive directors of the organization, and the leading officials from the 13 target municipalities attended the event. Members of the Human Rights Localization Committee, industry experts, and representatives from the association and the Public Defender’s Office were also involved in the process.

The Vice-President of NALAG, Chairman of the Human Rights Localization Committee of the Association, and Mayor of Dusheti Municipality, Manana (Matsatso) Narimanidze, held a meeting with the Permanent Rapporteur on Human Rights Issues at the Congress, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, Mzia Giorgobiani, the First Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, Tamar Gvaramadze, and the Head of the Austrian Development Agency Georgia Office, Alexander Karner.

During the meeting, the speakers underscored the significance of the local self-government forum and evaluated the strides taken in the area of human rights protection. A key highlight was the collaborative development of the curriculum, which was a joint effort of local decision-makers, municipal employees, NALAG, national and international experts, and the Office of the Public Defender. This comprehensive curriculum encompasses key modules, from fundamental principles to sustainable implementation strategies, reflecting the collective wisdom and expertise of all involved.

During the first session, participants were introduced to the training program/curriculum, its goals, and its structure. Notably, the attending public was given a platform to share their proposals, ideas, and future plans with the main partners,

The event, conducted in a discussion format, was moderated by Svetislav Paunović, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia. Panelists included Diane Bunyan, an international expert in gender equality and inclusion, Ana Arganashvili, a local expert in the field of human rights, and Tamar Gvelesiani, a local expert in data administration.

Marité Moras, representing the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities as the Head of the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance, along with Tatiana Bokuchava, Deputy Executive Director of NALAG, summarized the meeting and engaged in discussions about future plans with the participants.

​It’s worth noting that the project “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at the Local Level in Georgia” by the Council of Europe from 2020 to 2023 is being implemented in accordance with Georgia’s action plan. The implementation involves the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the General Directorate of Democracy and Human Dignity, and receives financial support from the Austrian Development Cooperation.