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Promoting Citizen Involvement in Parliamentary Openness: Information Campaign for Elaborating the 2018-2019 Action Plan has Ended

Parliamentary openness, commitments implemented as part of the Open Parliament Action Plan (AP) and new ideas for Georgia’s third AP were the focus of an information campaign carried out over the months of March and April in six cities of Georgia.  

Georgia’s Global Leadership Opportunity

In 2017 democracy faced its most serious crisis in decades, according to independent watchdog Freedom House, as fundamental human rights, the rule of law and civil society came under attack around the world. For open government advocates the reaction has been palpable as hard-won gains were eroded in many countries, and the political champions for openness on the global stage struggled to face down the rise of closed government.

IDFI Took Part in an International Archive Conference in Croatia

Anton Vatcharadze, coordinator of the project Openness of State Archives in Former Soviet Republics participated in the 4^th Croatia ICARUS days & EURBICA Conference. The tagline of the event was European Archival Landscape: Reaching out for New Horizons.

IDFI Representatives Visit in Kyrgyzstan

On 2-4 April, IDFI’s representatives made a consultative visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, within the framework of the project “Transparent Public Procurement Rating – Assessing Public Procurement Legislation and the Enforcement Process in the Eurasian Region and Beyond”

Parliament of Georgia and Private Sector Discussed Commitments for Parliamentary Openness in Georgia

40 representatives of business companies met members of the Georgian Parliament on 2 April 2018 to discuss how legislative openness affects business environment and offer some practical suggestions for Georgia’s third, 2018-2019 Open Parliament Action Plan. The meeting was organized by the Permanent Parliamentary Council on Open and Transparent Governance with the support from the EU and UNDP, in cooperation with the IDFI.

Digital Technologies for Open Parliament in Georgia

Citizens of Georgia can now access public information, keep track of the legislative work and send electronic requests to their Parliament via the new Public Information Module and Mobile Application, developed with the assistance of the European Union and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in cooperation with the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI).

Presentation of Georgia’s Open Data Lab – www.DataLab.ge

Gender Equality – Key to Sustainable Development

Georgian Government, international agencies, civil society and the private sector join hands to promote gender equality as one of the key aspects of sustainable development agenda. Policy dialogue on 21 February 2018 focused on the Sustainable Development Goal on Gender Equality – SDG5, aiming to set the ways of achieving meaningful progress in political and economic empowerment of women in Georgia by 2030. 

Georgia Moves Forward to Legislative Openness

Georgian Parliament fully implemented 13 and partially 11 out of 24 commitments described in the Open Parliament Action Plan 2017, and will continue this successful work in 2018. Among other achievements, the Parliament has initiated the Code of Ethics of MPs and provided opportunities for citizens to submit e-petitions and e-legislative initiatives.

Global Agenda for Sustainable Development and Georgian Path from 2015

The UN General Assembly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its Resolution A/RES/70/1 on September 2015. 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 associated targets are enshrined in the Resolution and balance three dimensions of sustainable development– economic, social and environmental. 2030 Agenda is the sole global agenda that unites every country to achieve sustainable development with the core principle of “leaving no one behind”.