Since joining the Council of Europe in 1999 and ratifying the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 2005, Georgia has undertaken significant decentralisation and local self-government reforms aimed at strengthening democratic governance.  The most recent Congress monitoring report on Georgia was adopted in November 2018 and highlighted the substantial progress achieved by Georgia in the field of local democracy.

Several projects implemented by the Centre of Expertise have supported these efforts by ensuring that legislation aligns with Council of Europe standards and that key recommendations from Congress monitoring reports are addressed. These initiatives have focused on enhancing citizen participation in decision-making, promoting gender equality, eliminating discrimination, and empowering local authorities to implement inclusive governance frameworks.

Ongoing projects in Georgia

 Advancing participatory and human rights-based local democracy in Georgia

The project aims to ensure that residents across Georgia enjoy enhanced public services and increased community involvement at the local level through participatory and human rights-based decision-making, along with efficient decentralisation efforts.

Learn more about this project

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Back Council of Europe Congress provides grant support to the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia 

Council of Europe Congress provides grant support to the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia 

On 16 May 2022, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) signed a grant agreement as part of their joint project on “Strengthening participatory democracy and human rights at local level in Georgia”.

Through the grant, the Congress aims to assist NALAG and its secretariat with the tools and expertise necessary to strengthen its advocacy capacities to promote dialogue and consultations between local and central authorities in the field of human rights.

The grant will also support NALAG in its efforts to mainstream human rights standards in national and local policies and actions, and will assist the Association in establishing peer-to-peer exchanges among member municipalities to improve their understanding of human rights principles and their delivery at local level.

NALAG plays a vital role in strengthening the Georgian institutional frameworks for local governance through capacity development of local authorities in the areas of good governance, transparency, accountability, and combatting corruption. The Associations also fosters an inclusive approach toward citizens’ participation in local decision making processes, and is a central actor in promotong decentralistaion and supporting consultations and dialogue between central and local authorities on all areas of concern for municipalities.

The grant will be implemented from 16 May 2022 to 30 June 2023 and amounts to 49,745 Euros.

The project “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at Local Level in Georgia” is 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.

Co-operation Strasbourg, France 16 May 2022
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Completed projects in Georgia

Promoting human rights and participation at local level through open government: a case study in Georgia (2024)

The event included the presentation of findings from a study in six Georgian members of the OGP Local Programme (Akhaltsikhe, Khoni, Kutaisi, Ozurgeti, Rustavi, and Tbilisi). The study involved local authorities and civil society to examine human rights, citizen participation, and inclusivity in local governance.

Additional information

Strengthening participatory democracy and human rights at local level in Georgia

The project  aims to strengthen democratic public participation and human rights protection at local level in Georgia. It seeks to ensure that citizens have a real impact on the decision-making processes, and to strengthen the capacities of local authorities and their national association to protect and embed human rights in their policies and strategies.

See project page