Equal, effective access to civil registration documents key for enjoyment of human rights by Roma in Georgia, say participants in OSCE/ODIHR roundtable discussion

Understanding the challenges impeding the full access of Roma in Georgia to identity and civil registration documents, as well as the way forward to address this issue, was the focus of a roundtable event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 4 December 2018 in Tbilisi.

The event brought together 35 participants (28 women and 7 men) from the national and local authorities, Roma and non-Roma civil society organizations and international organizations. They discussed the difficulties for Roma in gaining civil registration and examined the specifics of how lacking personal documents impacts negatively on the capacity of Roma to enjoy basic rights, as well as to benefit from public services.

“A number of policy reforms undertaken by the Georgian government in the field of identity management and civil registration have resulted in an overall improvement in these processes. However, a simplification of procedures alone has not entirely solved the documentation problem for Roma, who continue to live on the fringes of society, facing socio-economic issues and discrimination,” said Dan Pavel Doghi, Chief of ODIHR’s Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues. “Proactive measures by relevant state authorities are needed to address these issues.”

“It is in every State’s interest to ensure that its entire population has identity and civil registration documents as a means to providing citizens with full access to public services and education and equipping them with the necessary skills to become active contributors to their society,” said Lia Gigauri, Deputy State Minister at the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality. “The identity management reforms in Georgia provide a good basis for this.”

As part of the event, participants reviewed and discussed the preliminary findings and recommendations of two ODIHR-supported background papers on issues related to the topic. They highlighted the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach to addressing these issues, comprising proactive and positive measures, awareness-raising and civic education activities, and support to vulnerable communities. The participants also stressed the need to ensure the meaningful participation of vulnerable minorities in decision-making processes concerning them.

“More joint efforts are required on the part of different authorities, in co-operation with civil society organizations, to reach out to Roma communities and raise awareness of the importance of documentation and of their rights,” said Roma community co-ordinator Elena Proshikian.