“Mainstreaming human rights makes local authorities more accountable towards citizens”, stated Congress Spokesperson on Human Rights Harald Bergmann (Netherlands, ILDG), on 3 October 2022, in Tbilisi, Georgia, during the Forum of Exchange on Human Rights that brings together thirteen local authorities in Georgia. “It is our responsibility as local leaders to enhance citizens’ awareness on their rights and to provide the conditions for their full enjoyment”, he stressed while sharing his experience as Mayor of Middelburg.
On this occasion, Georgian mayors shared their current practices, capacities, and visions for human rights implementation at local level, and discussed their needs and perspectives for sustainable change, including strengthening their own capacities, empowering underrepresented groups to participate and advocating for better access to human rights-related data. Based on their reflection on common challenges and practices, they agreed on a Declaration which calls upon the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) to strengthen its advocacy efforts within human rights multilevel governance.
Building on the Memorandum of Understanding for co-operation signed between NALAG and the Congress, NALAG’s Executive Board held a thematic meeting on human rights on 4 October 2022. The event provided a space for dialogue and capacity development on human rights law and local policymaking. Welcoming the declaration of the Forum, members of the Executive Board agreed on the priority of strengthening NALAG’s contribution to human rights governance to consolidate its position as a leading stakeholder in multi-level dialogue in Georgia.
These activities were organised were organised jointly with the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) in the framework of the project “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at Local Level in Georgia”, implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Directorate General of Democracy, Division of Elections and Participatory Democracy, within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023 with the financial contribution of the Austrian Development Cooperation. The project aims to strengthen institutional frameworks for citizen participation, support local authorities and their national association in their efforts to protect and promote human rights and ensure that civil society organisations have real impact on local decision making.
