A newly-produced video “Georgia and the Council of Europe” highlights the impact of 25 years of Georgia´s membership of the Council of Europe. Part of the visibility project, the film aims to raise awareness of the far-reaching impact of the Council of Europe´s work in Georgia.

“Georgia’s transformation aligns profoundly with the historic choice to rejoin the European family and embrace democratic principles. The initial official step was Georgia´s accession to the Council of Europe after the collective effort of the legal academia for the abolition of the death penalty. This commitment was integral for Georgia´s preparation to join the organisation in 1999,” said Tamar Taliashvili, Ambassador, and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the Council of Europe in the video.

The video also highlights Georgia´s commitment to a future that values and respects human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and the ways in which it has benefitted from tailor-made support for its ambitions and reforms. Among other things, these have led to changes in the justice system, with improvements in hate crime investigation and prosecution, and in the field of equality, with stakeholders promoting the importance of diversity throughout the country. The reforms have also improved healthcare in prisons with suicide prevention measures and better mental health management. Other advances have been made in the prevention of violence against women with improved policing and easier to access to justice. Civil society has played an important role in achieving this, as Georgia and the Council of Europe have grown together.

“Over the past decade, our partnership has reached new heights with Georgia´s resolute pursuit of European Union integration. Noteworthy highlights are the establishment of the strategic cooperation frameworks, such as the Council of Europe Action Plans for Georgia in 2013. Soon afterwards came new decisions of the Committee of Minister on the conflict in Georgia, the Secretary General´s consolidated reports supporting Georgia´s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In this respect, the recent historic judgments of the European Court of Human Rights have had an outstanding impact”, said Ambassador Taliashvili.

 Watch the video here: Home - Council of Europe Office in Georgia