OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities discusses education and language policy with Georgian officials, meets displaced persons

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Georgia from 13 to 17 April 2015, where she discussed a wide range of issues, including language policy, education reform and minority representation, and met people displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The internally displaced persons and people living close to the administrative boundary lines with Abkhazia and South Ossetia told the High Commissioner that the effects of the war, including the erection of the fence along the administrative boundary line, had had a negative impact on their daily lives, especially by restricting their freedom of movement. The High Commissioner intends to visit Sukhumi/Sukhum in the future.

Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili and several committee chairpersons updated Thors on the status of the draft state language law. The High Commissioner considers this law to be especially important for national minorities due to the absence of legislation regulating the use of minority languages.

“The legitimate goal of promoting the state language should not be pursued to the detriment of minority linguistic rights. The two aims should be balanced in a mutually reinforcing manner, which can promote the integration of society,” said Thors.

She also discussed education reform processes, underlining the need to ensure that the reforms do not have a disproportionate impact on national minority education.

Thors had the opportunity to hear about the latest developments on a number of initiatives related to her mandate: the draft civic equality and integration strategy, the Meskhetian repatriation process and the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons.

The High Commissioner will provide an expert to assist the inter-ministerial working group drafting the civic equality and integration strategy. She also stressed the importance of ensuring that the strategy complies with Georgia’s international commitments and relevant standards, including recommendations published by her office.

On 17 April, Thors addressed a meeting of political party representatives, as part of a project promoting the active participation of national minorities in public and political life and their representation in decision making through multi-party dialogue. The innovative project is supported by her office and implemented by the Netherlands Institute of Multiparty Democracy.

The High Commissioner also met President Giorgi Margvelashvili, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Paata Zakareishvili and Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili, as well as representatives from the Council of National Minorities, civil society and the international community.