Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia Giorgi Dgebuadze took part in the 24th session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), held in The Hague.

The Assembly opened on December 1 with a ceremonial event attended by the President of the International Criminal Court, Tomoko Akane, and the President of the Assembly of States Parties, Päivi Kaukoranta.

The Deputy Minister delivered a statement during the General Debate. In his address, Giorgi Dgebuadze reaffirmed Georgia’s cooperation with the International Criminal Court and emphasized the Court’s crucial role in combating international crimes.

He highlighted the ICC’s investigation into the crimes committed during the 2008 Russia–Georgia war, the importance of enforcing the Court’s decisions related to this investigation, and the need to safeguard the rights and interests of the victims.

The Deputy Minister also referred to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Georgia v. Russia (IV) concerning the ongoing occupation. He noted that the Court upheld the position of the Georgian government and consequently ordered the Russian Federation to compensate the affected Georgian citizens.

On the sidelines of the Assembly, the Deputy Minister held meetings with representatives of States Parties to the Rome Statute, judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, and took part in legal discussions related to the Court’s activities.

The Ministry of Justice of Georgia hosted a delegation of the Republic of Tajikistan. The Georgian side introduced the guests to the steps taken in the fight against human trafficking and the progress achieved by Georgia.

During the meeting, the parties discussed Georgia’s four-pillar state policy against human trafficking and the role of the Interagency Council—chaired by the Minister of Justice—in ensuring its effective implementation. The conversation also covered Georgia’s progress reflected in international rankings and studies focused on anti-trafficking performance. In particular:

• According to the 2025 U.S. Department of State report, Georgia remains at the highest level for its anti-trafficking measures and has retained its position in the so-called Tier 1 category among 188 countries worldwide for the tenth consecutive year;
• The international organization Walk Free Foundation, responsible for the Global Slavery Index, ranked Georgia 14th out of 160 countries in its 2023 report, acknowledging the government’s effective steps in combating human trafficking;
• According to the 2025 evaluation report of the fourth monitoring round by GRETA (the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings), the Georgian government has, in recent years, undertaken significant positive measures to strengthen legislative, institutional, and policy mechanisms in this field. These include simplifying procedures for compensating victims, enhancing the mandates of state agencies responsible for crime detection, and expanding capacity-building initiatives for professionals working in the anti-trafficking sector.