Overview:
Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia is mandated by the Constitution and Organic Law of Georgia to oversee the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms on the territory of Georgia, identify the cases of infringement of human rights and assist individuals in redressing of violations of their rights. It is an independent constitutional body, which acts to promote human rights and protect individuals from maladministration of State administrative organs.
Brief history
Office of Public Defender has a broad mandate to promote and protect human rights, and that it exercises this mandate in practice. In addition to its existing mandate, the PD has been mandated with responsibilities for as National Preventive Mechanism under OPCAT, and as monitoring mechanism under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Since 2014 Office of Public Defender is designated as an Equality Body under the Law of Georgia on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination.
PDO submits to the Parliament of Georgia annual reports, which includes general assessment of human rights situation in the country, a summary of findings and recommendations on how to address problems identified. PDO also prepares special reports concerning human rights issues in various fields and presents main findings and recommendations to the public and relevant state institutions.
Mandate Type
Combined tribunal-type and promotion-type
Litigation power:
- Intervening before the court
- Formally deciding on complaints (e.g. decision or recommendation addressed to the parties) Not legally binding
Activities
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activities aimed at supporting vulnerable groups ( e.g. through trainings ) | |||||||||||
| Activities aimed at supporting duty bearers such as employers and service providers (e.g. through trainings, guidance material, practical support, etc.) | |||||||||||
| Communication activities (e.g. awareness raising campaigns) | |||||||||||
| Recommendations on discrimination issues | |||||||||||
| Publications and reports | |||||||||||
| Research projects (including surveys) |
Our institution has a mandate to deal with:
- Violence against women
- UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Hate crime
- Hate speech
Other statistics:
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of inquiries handled per year (all contact even if not resulting in a formal complaint) | |||||||||||
| Number of cases handled per year (case files opened and processed according to your procedures) | 31 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | |||||
| Number of media appearances per year (major newspapers/magazines/websites/blogs, TV + radio channels) - does not include social media |
Management
- Single headed equality body (led by director or ombudsman/commissioner)
Management details
The institution is headed by the Public Defender who has the office comprising of three deputies and departments and units.
Additional details
The institution has thematic – rights focused and technical departments. Each department is supervised by one of the deputies of the Public Defender.
Procedure for nomination and appointment of management and board
The Public Defender is elected by the Parliament with the majority of overall votes for the term of 5 years. The candidate may be nominated by a parliamentary fraction and group of MPs comprising of at least 7 people not belonging to any of the fraction.
Number of staff dealing with equality issues
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Grounds and fields of discrimination covered by the equality body
| Grounds / Fields | Employment | Education | Housing | Social Protection & Healthcare | Goods and Services | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||||
| Gender Identity | ||||||
| Race and Ethnic Origin | ||||||
| Age | ||||||
| Disability | ||||||
| Sexual Orientation | ||||||
| Religion & Belief |
According to Georgian legislation, discrimination is prohibited on any of the ground (open-ended list) in every field of life.
Mandate covers:
- Public sector
- Private sector
Operating budget in euros
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 905815 | 953159 | 1032151 | 977198 | 1044821 | 1770303 | 1755001 | 1827944 | 1712755 | 1994080.00 | 1843755.00 |
Operating budget in euros for the parts of the organisation dealing with equality issues (all types of functions)
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65615.00 | 65058.00 |
We are accountable to
- National Parliament
Full name in English
Public Defender (Ombudsman) of GeorgiaFull name in the national language(s):
საქართველოს სახალხო დამცველის ოფისიPostal address
150 Aghmashenebeli Ave. Tbilisi 0112, Georgia