Activity Report 2018
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1 I. Reconciliation and Engagement Policy ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 New Peace Initiatives ................................................................................................................... 1 Facilitation of Trade across Dividing Lines ............................................................................................... 2 Enhancing Educational Opportunities for the residents of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia 3 Ensuring Access to Various State Services for the Residents of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/ South Ossetia .................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Formats of Cooperation with International Partners ...................................................................... 6 1.3 Geneva International Discussions and Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) Meetings ............................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Engagement of Women in Peace Process ....................................................................................... 10 1.5 Identification of the Fate of the Persons Missing as a result of the Armed Conflicts .......................... 10 1.6 Implementation of Engagement Action Plan ..................................................................................... 12 1.6.1 Healthcare .................................................................................................................................... 12 1.6.2 Education ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1.6.3 International Engagement and Confidence Building Projects ......................................................... 13 1.6.4 Liaison Mechanism ....................................................................................................................... 15 1.7 Addressing the Needs of the Affected Population in Villages adjacent to Dividing Lines. Donor Assistance ............................................................................................................................................. 15 II. Civic Equality and Integration ............................................................................................................. 17 2.1. Ensuring Civic and Political Participation ......................................................................................... 17 2.2. Supporting Smaller and Vulnerable Ethnic Minorities ..................................................................... 19 2.2.1. Pankisi Gorge Development Program .......................................................................................... 19 2.3. Gender Mainstreaming ................................................................................................................... 21 2.4. Ensuring Access to Media and Information..................................................................................... 22 2.5. Improvement of Knowledge of the State Language and Ensuring Access to High Quality Education 22 2.5.1. Improvement of Knowledge of the State Language ...................................................................... 22 2.5.2. General Education ....................................................................................................................... 24 2.5.3. Higher Education ......................................................................................................................... 25 2.5.4. Vocational Training ...................................................................................................................... 26 2.5.5. Education of Adults and Enhancement/improvement of skills ....................................................... 26 2.6. Preservation of Culture of Ethnic Minorities and Encouraging Tolerant Environment ...................... 26 2.7. Information/ Awareness Raising Campaign ..................................................................................... 28 2.8. Fulfillment of International Obligations ............................................................................................ 29 1 The Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality identifies, coordinates and implements activities in two main directions – reconciliation, confidence building, facilitation/ implementation of engagement policy in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/ South Ossetia, peaceful resolution of the existing conflicts; also, facilitation of protection of rights of the representatives of ethnic minorities, living in Georgia, ensuring of equality and civil integration. Creation of favorable environment for reconciliation, confidence building and better engagement of the population living in occupied territories is one of the central tasks of the State Minister’s Office. The Government of Georgia has chosen peaceful, consistent and constructive course. The main goal of the civil equality and integration policy is protection of rights of ethnic minorities, ensuring of their full-fledged and dignified participation in country’s development, as well as facilitation of establishment and enhancement of tolerant environment. Stemming from this, extensive activities were implemented in 2018; number of initiatives and programs were developed and implemented. I. Reconciliation and Engagement Policy 1.1 New Peace Initiatives 25 years have passed since Georgia faces unresolved conflicts. At the 10th anniversary of Russian military aggression, de-facto annexation is still in progress; militarization of the occupied territories continues; fundamental principles of international law, human rights and freedoms are being violated openly and gravely, including ethnic discrimination of Georgian population of Gali and Akhalgori districts, Russification policy and attempts of erasing Georgian traces, restrictions of the right to receive education in native language and to move freely, division of population living on both sides of dividing line by barbed wires and other artificial barriers, illegal detentions and infringement of the right to life, pressure on and intimidation of people. The society faces humanitarian challenges. Maintenance of peace against the background of permanent provocations is the every-day concern of the state. Georgia confronts the above-mentioned challenges and difficulties by peace and development-oriented approaches, enjoying wide international support. In 2018 Georgia made an unprecedented effort for peace and reconciliation, based on humanitarian needs of population, pragmatic interests, aspirations towards development and better future. Through various peace initiatives, reconciliation and engagement policy, also by using humanitarian approaches, significant steps were made towards confidence building, improvement of social-economic situation of the population and increase of access to various opportunities. Thus, the Government of Georgia gives green light to constructive cooperation, dialogue with wide engagement of various representatives of societies and thus, cares about the welfare of the population prior to full-scale resolution of the conflict. 1 In 2018, the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, in partnership with other governmental agencies, developed new Peace Policy Initiative – “A Step to a Better Future”. Peace Initiative is exclusively constructive and serves humanitarian goals, provides opportunity for solving various issues through humanitarian principles, in some cases, using status-neutral instruments and formats. The Initiative is based on flexible and pragmatic approach, corresponds to the interests and needs of the population and provides space for constructive involvement of all interested actors, community dialogue and cooperation. Implementation of this Initiative will significantly improve social- economic situation of the population on both sides of the dividing line; besides, it will have positive impact on the freedom of movement and deepening of people-to-people relations. The Government of Georgia submitted the package of legislative amendments of the Peace Initiative “A Step to a Better Future” for consideration to the Parliament of Georgia in April 2018. The Parliament approved the package of legislative amendments on the basis of wide consensus after three hearings in June, 2018. The Peace Initiative of the Government of Georgia also obtained wide international support from the EU, its individual member states, heads of the governments and from the USA, as well as international organizations and their institutions. This support was documented in a number of resolutions and declarations, including the European Parliament Resolution “Georgian Occupied Territories 10 Years after the Russian Invasion”, declaration of the NATO-Georgian Commission, Resolution of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly “Ten Years After the August 2008: War in Georgia”. The Initiative envisages three directions: Facilitation of trade across dividing lines; Enhancement of educational opportunities for the residents of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/ South Ossetia; Ensuring of access to various state services for the residents of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/ South Ossetia. Facilitation of Trade across Dividing Lines The initiative