Modalities on conducting of activities on Occupied territories, regulating activities of international and local nongovernmental and Humanitarian organizations, enacted by Georgian Government on 15th October 2010 has already negatively affected on implementing projects in conflict regions.
Such kind of interference by State in civil society activities gives reason for De-facto regimes to hamper confidence building projects on territories controlled by them and to threat individuals and organizations who expressed commitment to co-operate with Georgian or international organizations. Our colleges from Abkhazia and South Ossetia have already talked about those threats in non-formal conversations.
Georgian government always underlines importance of “Public Diplomacy” for proper regulation of Conflicts, this is also clearly expressed in Strategy on Occupied Territories -Engagement through Co-operation. Despite the recent tensions, Georgian civil society sector has built up and maintained confidence with organizations working in conflicting regions.
We consider that maintaining and further building of confidence is crucial for proper regulation of conflicts. We are addressing you as a head of the governmental branch which executes abovementioned control and express full commitment to meet you and inform about our concerns and threats of regulations as seen by local and international civil society.
Sincerely,
International Center on Conflict and Negotiation (ICCN)
Giorgi Khutsishvili
Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
Giorgi Kupatadze
Association “Peaceful and Active Caucasus”
Alu Gamakharia
Human Rights Centre (HRIDC);
Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA);
Human Rights House Tbilisi (HRHT);
Georgian-Abkhazian Mixed Families;
Institute for the Study of Nationalism and Conflict (ISNC);
Charity Humanitarian Centre "Abkhazeti" (CHCA);
Article 42 of the constitution;
Union Sapari – family without violence;
Caucasian Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Studies;
Caucasian House