Business and Human Rights – Georgian Government’s Action Plan on the Protection of Human Rights

Aimed at the development and implementation of a comprehensive State policy on human rights protection, an Inter-Agency Council on Human Rights has been created and is chaired by the Prime Minister of Georgia. The Council is responsible for the development, coordination and monitoring of the State policy and action plan on human rights protection (see: December 13, 2016, N551 Resolution of the Government of Georgia.

Administration of the Council’s activity, as well as organizational and analytical support, is provided by the Human Rights Protection Secretariat of the Administration of the Georgian Government.

In 2014, Parliament of Georgia passed the National Strategy for 2014-2020 on Human Rights Protection.

In order to achieve the targets set forth by the strategy, following action plans have been developed: action plan for 2014-2015; action plan for 2016-2017, and action plan for 2018-2020 (see: action plans ). The plans identify specific tasks, their completion dates, indicators and the institutions responsible for the task.In 2017, Georgian Government amended its 2016-2017 Action Plan on Human Rights adding a chapter on business and human rights (Chapter 24); Chapter 25 of the 2018-2020 action plan also addresses business and human rights issues.

By these actions, Government of Georgia made commitments to support protection of human rights in the private sector and the development of corporate social responsibility. The commitments refer to informing and awareness raising (e.g. raising the awareness on corporate social responsibility, informing the businesses on human rights protection mechanisms, etc.), as well as to taking more decisive steps and measures, such as: elaboration of a unified policy on business and human rights protection and ensuring its effective enforcement; ensuring stimulating and mandatory consideration of human rights issues in State procurement implementation processes; and commitments referring to joining the leading international initiatives on human rights and responsible business and ensuring their adoption in the policies (e.g. supporting and ensuring adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rihghts, joining OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and many more.