Open Letter
Open letter by Georgian Civil Society Organisations to the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Mr. Štefan Fule.
In recent years, Mr Thomas Hammarberg has made an outstanding impact in his capacity as EU Special Advisor on Legal and Constitutional Reform and Human Rights in Georgia. Mr Hammarberg played an important role in reducing the dangerous tension between Georgia’s main political forces after the October 2012 parliamentary elections, which saw the first democratic electoral transfer of power in the country’s modern history. Mr Hammarberg has been a vigilant observer, reacting promptly to every major problem in the field of human rights and urging Georgia’s new authorities to stay loyal to the principles of democracy and rule of law. He has, among other things, provided invaluable assistance to Georgia’s civil society organisations.
After the upcoming local government elections, Georgia will enter a new phase of transition when the gains made in recent years in terms of the development of a multi-party democratic system will have to be consolidated if the country is to move closer to Europe. Georgia will undoubtedly face a number of serious challenges in this process and significant efforts will have to be made to strengthen the rule of law and ensure protection of human rights. Georgian Government still faces numerous challenges related to the constitutional reform, operations of the law enforcement bodies, reformation of the judiciary. Special attention should be paid to the protection of minority rights.
It recently became known to the civil society organisations that soon after the EU-Georgia Association Agreement is signed, Mr. Hammarberg will no longer be advising the Georgian Government. In this situation it will be mutually beneficial for Georgia for the EU as well as the for the Georgian Government if Mr. Hammarberg stays on as the EU Special Adviser on Legal and Constitutional Reform and Human Rights in Georgia. It is only natural that there will be space for recommendations related to the areas mentioned above. At the same time, the EU will need to have up-to-date information about how Georgia follows and implements the commitments undertaken by the EU-Georgia Association Agreement and and will need to assess the country’s progress on the way of building its democratic institutions. Moreover, the civil society in Georgia will greatly benefit from having an ally like Mr Hammarberg on this difficult road.
The undersigning civil society organisations would like to urge the European Commission and Commissioner Fule to prolong Mr. Hammarberg’s mission by extending the EU grant to the Office of the Public Defender’s Office through which the performance of his mandate has been possible. This will be one of the most important steps undertaken by the EU in assisting Georgia’s democratic transformation and harmonisation into the European space.
The signatory organizations (the members of Georgian National Platform):
