A roundtable “Towards more effective implementation of the Lanzarote Convention in Georgia: Challenges and good practices in responding to child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse” is organised on 21-22 March 2018, in Tbilisi, jointly by the Council of Europe and the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government Administration of Georgia.

The need for more concerted and targeted measures to prevent and protect children against sexual abuse in Georgia was stressed by Natalia Jaliashvili, Head of the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government Administration; Natia Mezvrishvili, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia; and Sophio Kiladze, Chair of Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, in their opening speeches. Ekaterina Skhiladze, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia further underlined that there is a lack of child-friendly services and information for child victims of sexual abuse. The Lanzarote Convention entered into force in Georgia in 2015.

During a day and a half, the objective of the roundtable is to:

- familiarise authorities and professionals in Georgia with the Lanzarote Convention;

- facilitate self-assessment of Georgia’s status of implementation of key provisions of the Lanzarote Convention and relevant recommendations of the Lanzarote Committee; and

- provide further support and concrete guidance for the effective implementation of the Lanzarote Convention at the national level in Georgia.

The roundtable is organised with the support of the Council of Europe project “Responding to child sexual exploitation and abuse in Georgia, phase I”, which is implemented in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia (2016-2019).

Council of Europe Office in Tbilisi, Georgia

Council of Europe project Responding to child sexual exploitation and abuse in Georgia, phase I