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26 April 2000
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CESCR
22nd Session
26 April 2000
Morning
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning began its consideration of the initial report of Georgia on how that country was implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Introducing the report, R. Beridze, Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council on Human Rights Issues and head of the delegation of Georgia, said in the 10 years since Georgia had become a democratic society, many reforms had taken place. There was still a great deal to be done in order to ensure that citizens were provided with decent and civilized living conditions, she said. The process of preparing the report had enabled the country to highlight the struggles and problems it had experienced, and also allowed it to focus on the few successes.
Mrs. Beridze said the country was slowly getting to the point where the people were feeling a personal responsibility in implementing the tenets of the Covenant. There had been a poor economy since 1991, and there were internal conflicts between 1991 and 1993. There was also an acute problem with corruption among authorities and politicians.
The Georgian delegation also included M. Jibuti, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection; N. Kobakhidze, the First Deputy Minister of Culture; A. Kavadze, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations at Geneva; and A. Kavsadze and T. Bakradze, Ministers Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Georgia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations at Geneva.
As one of the 143 States parties to the International Covenant, Georgia is obligated to submit periodic summaries of the measures taken to implement the provisions of the treaty.
The Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. to continue its review of the report of Georgia.
Report of Georgia
The initial report of Georgia (E/1990/5/Add.37) details the measures taken by the Government to implement the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The report addresses, in an article by article basis, the enjoyment of these rights.
In the introduction, the report states, among other things, that the Georgia Constitution encompasses the full range of rights covered by the Covenant, including equality of all irrespective of race, skin colour, language, sex, religion, political and other views.
Further, the report addresses that everyone lawfully in Georgia is free to choose their place of residence, to move around the country at will, and to leave the country. Aliens are treated equally, and have the same rights to work and leisure as Georgian citizens.
Introduction of Report
R. BERIDZE, Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council on Human Rights Issues of Georgia, said in the 10 years that had gone by since the country had become a democratic society, many reforms had taken place. There was still a great deal to be done in order to ensure the citizens were provided with decent and civilized living conditions. The process of preparing the report had enabled the country to highlight the struggles and problems it had experienced, but it also enabled the country to focus on the few successes.
She said the country was slowly getting to the point where the people were feeling a personal responsibility in implementing the tenets of the Covenant. There had been a poor economy since 1991, and there were internal conflicts between 1991 and 1993. There was also an acute problem with corruption among authorities and politicians.
There were two basic sources of unemployment in Georgia -- inability to find a job, and the physical inability to work. If someone was able to work, the Government wanted to help that person find a job. The Government was establishing a three-step process to reduce unemployment, stabilize economic growth, and eradicate poverty. The stages ranged from increasing the tax base and financial expenditures on social needs, and seeing steady social progress when a trend of economic growth had been established.
The Government was not closing its eyes to the mistakes that it had made, Mrs. Beridze said. It welcomed any constructive proposals from the Committee.
Discussion
Committee experts asked the Government delegation a number of questions, including about the rate of inflation in Georgia, the ombudsman who dealt with economic and social issues, and the public availability of the Covenant there.
In response to a question regarding the practical application of the Covenant in Georgian law, the delegation said that in 1994, when the country had signed the Covenant, there had been a weak Government which did not comply exactly with all the provisions of the Covenant. When the Constitution was drafted, it had covered the rights outlined in the Covenant. Also, a citizen was able to invoke the rights in the Covenant in a court of law.
About regional conflicts, they had and continued to have negative consequences for Georgia. There had to be some sort of social protection for the displaced people, and in the last seven years, every family with a displaced person had received some State support. In fact, 8 per cent of the Georgian budget went to the displaced problem. It was a strain on the budget.
Addressing the reform of the judiciary, the delegation said the Constitution stipulated the judiciary should be independent. In order to improve the quantity and quality of judges, they had to go through a series of exams. Around 50 per cent of the judges were women.
Asked what portion of the budget was spent on social and cultural issues, the delegation said health and social welfare accounted for about 25 per cent. Expenditure on education was about 8 per cent of the budget, and approximately 35 per cent of the budget was taken up by social and cultural issues.
Queried about the makeup of the economy, the delegation said the structure of the economy had changed entirely from the way it was under the Soviet system. Agriculture made up about 40 per cent of the economy, and other sizable portions were trade and communications.
Committee experts also asked the delegation about, among other things, the right of peoples to self-determination, non-discrimination against aliens, the equality of men and women, the right to work, protection against discrimination for people with disabilities, and protection for women against domestic violence.
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22nd Session
26 April 2000
Morning
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning began its consideration of the initial report of Georgia on how that country was implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Introducing the report, R. Beridze, Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council on Human Rights Issues and head of the delegation of Georgia, said in the 10 years since Georgia had become a democratic society, many reforms had taken place. There was still a great deal to be done in order to ensure that citizens were provided with decent and civilized living conditions, she said. The process of preparing the report had enabled the country to highlight the struggles and problems it had experienced, and also allowed it to focus on the few successes.
Mrs. Beridze said the country was slowly getting to the point where the people were feeling a personal responsibility in implementing the tenets of the Covenant. There had been a poor economy since 1991, and there were internal conflicts between 1991 and 1993. There was also an acute problem with corruption among authorities and politicians.
The Georgian delegation also included M. Jibuti, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection; N. Kobakhidze, the First Deputy Minister of Culture; A. Kavadze, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations at Geneva; and A. Kavsadze and T. Bakradze, Ministers Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Georgia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations at Geneva.
As one of the 143 States parties to the International Covenant, Georgia is obligated to submit periodic summaries of the measures taken to implement the provisions of the treaty.
The Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. to continue its review of the report of Georgia.
Report of Georgia
The initial report of Georgia (E/1990/5/Add.37) details the measures taken by the Government to implement the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The report addresses, in an article by article basis, the enjoyment of these rights.
In the introduction, the report states, among other things, that the Georgia Constitution encompasses the full range of rights covered by the Covenant, including equality of all irrespective of race, skin colour, language, sex, religion, political and other views.
Further, the report addresses that everyone lawfully in Georgia is free to choose their place of residence, to move around the country at will, and to leave the country. Aliens are treated equally, and have the same rights to work and leisure as Georgian citizens.
Introduction of Report
R. BERIDZE, Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council on Human Rights Issues of Georgia, said in the 10 years that had gone by since the country had become a democratic society, many reforms had taken place. There was still a great deal to be done in order to ensure the citizens were provided with decent and civilized living conditions. The process of preparing the report had enabled the country to highlight the struggles and problems it had experienced, but it also enabled the country to focus on the few successes.
She said the country was slowly getting to the point where the people were feeling a personal responsibility in implementing the tenets of the Covenant. There had been a poor economy since 1991, and there were internal conflicts between 1991 and 1993. There was also an acute problem with corruption among authorities and politicians.
There were two basic sources of unemployment in Georgia -- inability to find a job, and the physical inability to work. If someone was able to work, the Government wanted to help that person find a job. The Government was establishing a three-step process to reduce unemployment, stabilize economic growth, and eradicate poverty. The stages ranged from increasing the tax base and financial expenditures on social needs, and seeing steady social progress when a trend of economic growth had been established.
The Government was not closing its eyes to the mistakes that it had made, Mrs. Beridze said. It welcomed any constructive proposals from the Committee.
Discussion
Committee experts asked the Government delegation a number of questions, including about the rate of inflation in Georgia, the ombudsman who dealt with economic and social issues, and the public availability of the Covenant there.
In response to a question regarding the practical application of the Covenant in Georgian law, the delegation said that in 1994, when the country had signed the Covenant, there had been a weak Government which did not comply exactly with all the provisions of the Covenant. When the Constitution was drafted, it had covered the rights outlined in the Covenant. Also, a citizen was able to invoke the rights in the Covenant in a court of law.
About regional conflicts, they had and continued to have negative consequences for Georgia. There had to be some sort of social protection for the displaced people, and in the last seven years, every family with a displaced person had received some State support. In fact, 8 per cent of the Georgian budget went to the displaced problem. It was a strain on the budget.
Addressing the reform of the judiciary, the delegation said the Constitution stipulated the judiciary should be independent. In order to improve the quantity and quality of judges, they had to go through a series of exams. Around 50 per cent of the judges were women.
Asked what portion of the budget was spent on social and cultural issues, the delegation said health and social welfare accounted for about 25 per cent. Expenditure on education was about 8 per cent of the budget, and approximately 35 per cent of the budget was taken up by social and cultural issues.
Queried about the makeup of the economy, the delegation said the structure of the economy had changed entirely from the way it was under the Soviet system. Agriculture made up about 40 per cent of the economy, and other sizable portions were trade and communications.
Committee experts also asked the delegation about, among other things, the right of peoples to self-determination, non-discrimination against aliens, the equality of men and women, the right to work, protection against discrimination for people with disabilities, and protection for women against domestic violence.
* *** *