After 12 years of negotiations, the Hague Convention of October 25, 1980, on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction officially took effect between Georgia and the United States on October 1, 2024.

This convention enables the citizens of both nations to resolve cases of international child abduction through legal channels. Under the agreement, Georgia’s Ministry of Justice is designated as the central authority, while the U.S. State Department's Office of Children's Issues fulfills the same role for the United States.

During the visit, both parties shared their experiences in implementing the convention and discussed plans for future collaboration.

The U.S. delegation also visited the Tbilisi Public Service Hall, where they learned about Georgia's model for delivering state services, including birth registration, travel document preparation, property registration, and other services.

On the Georgian side, representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Services Development Agency, State Care and Assistance Agency for Victims of Trafficking, Legal Aid Service, the Association of Mediators, and members of the judiciary participated in the meetings held from October 2-4.

Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze met with Owen Murphy, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission, to discuss ongoing efforts to ensure transparent and fair elections in Georgia.

During the meeting, Minister Bregadze highlighted the successful work of the Interagency Task Force for Free and Fair Elections (IATF), which operates under the Ministry of Justice. The IATF's mandate is to prevent and address violations of election laws by public officials. Notably, the Task Force not only responds to potential violations but also engages in proactive media monitoring to identify any signs of electoral misconduct.

Both parties expressed their commitment to continued collaboration.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamashvili, Head of the State Services Development Agency Ketevan Betlemidze, and Head of the Ministry’s Administration Department Manana Begiashvili.

For reference: On September 11, 2024, at the invitation of the Georgian government, the OSCE/ODIHR Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights deployed an election observation mission to Georgia to monitor the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26, 2024. The mission will assess the elections' adherence to OSCE commitments, international democratic standards, and national legislation.

The IATF members reviewed the response to information gathered through media monitoring.

The session was chaired by Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze and attended by Deputy Minister Beka Dzamashvili, along with heads of public agencies that are part of the commission. Representatives from international and local monitoring organizations, as well as political parties, also participated.

The Interagency Task Force for Free and Fair Elections (IATF), established under the Election Code, aims to prevent violations of election legislation by civil servants and address any breaches. The IATF is led by Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze.

For inquiries regarding the commission’s activities, the IATF can be contacted via email at iatf@justice.gov.ge or through the hotline: (+995) 599 85 00 11.

As part of ongoing efforts to enhance the rights and services available to convicts and staff, Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze inaugurated new facilities at Penitentiary No. 10 in Ksani.

The newly built infrastructure includes a Public Service Hall, dedicated meeting rooms for lawyers, spaces for both long- and short-term visits, and a video conferencing area.

This upgrade ensures that both inmates and staff can fully access state and private sector services within the institution. The Ksani facility is the sixth penitentiary to feature a Public Service Hall, a project that is unparalleled worldwide.

Convicts at Penitentiary No. 10 will now benefit from improved, comfortable meeting spaces, equipped with the necessary amenities for both long and short visits. The infrastructure aligns with the 2024 Penal Code, which permits inmates to use these meeting spaces free of charge.

Additionally, a new, state-of-the-art storage facility has been installed to better control the introduction of prohibited items. Access to the institution is now further secured with the installation of a modern scanner and a designated room for the physical inspection of visitors.

The inauguration was attended by Deputy Minister of Justice Erekle Gvinianidze, Head of the Special Penitentiary Service Nika Tshvarashvili, and Chairperson of the Public Service Hall Lasha Lobjanidze.

As part of the project, recommendations were developed to enhance the standard for justifying normative acts in the law-making process. The project’s authors conducted a thorough analysis of EU member states’ practices regarding the justification of draft laws, focusing on the forms and mechanisms used in explanatory notes. The research findings were subsequently presented.

The project aims to improve Georgia's legislative process by aligning the standard for explanatory notes with EU practices. The recommendations were prepared by Associate Professor Vasil Gonashvili and Professor Nana Chigladze from Tbilisi State University.

The presentation of the project results was attended by the heads of relevant Ministry departments, representatives from the academic community, and the authors themselves.

Each year, the Ministry of Justice holds a grant competition aimed at encouraging innovation in services, strengthening human rights protection, and enhancing legal security. This year, the Ministry is funding 17 winning projects through the grant program, which aims to foster civil society participation in Ministry activities and support civil initiatives.

The Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze, together with State Trustee Davit Nozadze, Deputy Minister of Justice Erekle Gvinianidze, and Chairperson of the Public Service Hall Lasha Lobjanidze, laid a symbolic capsule at the construction site of a new Public Service Hall branch in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region.

Once completed, residents of Mtskheta will gain access to up to 500 services offered by the Public Service Hall in a modern and comfortable setting.

The new facility will also feature a dedicated wedding hall, providing couples with the opportunity to celebrate their marriage in an elegantly designed space, complete with festive wedding decorations and a ceremonial atmosphere.

The new branch will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities and will employ approximately 20 people.

It will also house offices of various LEPLs operating under the Ministry of Justice.

This Public Service Hall will be the sixth branch in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, joining existing branches in Kazbegi, Tianeti, Mukhrani, Dusheti, and Pasanauri.

The Mtskheta branch, designed by architect Mikheil Giorgobiani, will cover a total area of 976.9 square meters and will be located near Military Street No. 9.

Expanding access to state services remains a top priority for the Ministry of Justice, which currently operates 121 Public Service Halls across the country.

A scientific conference, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Georgia, marked the centenary of the 1924 People's Uprising. The event was inaugurated by Tea Tsulukiani and Rati Bregadze, along with members of parliament Eliso Bolkvadze, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, and Beka Odisharia.

In his speech, the Minister of Justice of Georgia emphasized the significance of the 1924 uprising in shaping national consciousness. He also announced that documents and materials related to the movement are now available on the website of the National Archives.

The exhibition curated by the National Archives highlights the various forms of the anti-Soviet national movement, including local uprisings, peaceful demonstrations, and appeals to the international community. It also explores the role of the Georgian government in exile, the stages of preparation for the 1924 uprising, its eventual failure, and the subsequent wave of Soviet repressions. Archival materials shed light on the scale of repressions carried out by the Soviet authorities. Additionally, books from Thieri Berishvili's personal collection are featured in the exhibition.

Prior to the conference, the Georgian delegation paid tribute to members of the First Republic of Georgia's emigrant government by visiting their graves and laying flowers in their memory.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili, held a meeting with the delegation from the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).

During the meeting, the Deputy Minister emphasized that combating human trafficking remains a key priority for the Georgian government. He highlighted that the country continuously implements measures in line with international standards, as demonstrated by several international assessments. Georgia consistently ranks alongside EU member states in terms of its efforts to fight human trafficking.

Notably, according to the 2024 U.S. State Department report on human trafficking, Georgia remains in the top tier of countries for the ninth consecutive year. Among 186 countries worldwide, Georgia is ranked at the highest level for its actions against human trafficking. This year, only 33 countries achieved this top-tier status.

Additionally, the Deputy Minister referenced the 2023 report from the Walk Free Foundation, which assesses the Global Slavery Index. The report ranked Georgia 14th out of 160 countries for its proactive steps in addressing human trafficking.

Dzamashvili reiterated the government’s commitment to continuing its efforts in combating trafficking, noting that the recommendations of GRETA would be fully considered moving forward.

This marks the fourth visit of a GRETA delegation to Georgia. The independent and impartial group of experts is responsible for evaluating how states comply with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

During their visit, the GRETA delegation will also meet with representatives from other government agencies, the Parliament of Georgia, the Public Defender’s Office, the judiciary, and various local and international non-governmental organizations.

The Interagency Task Force for Free and Fair Elections (IATF) convened for its sixth session, where members reviewed responses to media monitoring reports and discussed written statements from various election observation missions.

The session was chaired by Deputy Minister of Justice, Tornike Cheishvili, with participation from heads of public agencies that form part of the IATF. Representatives from international and local monitoring organizations, as well as political parties, also attended the meeting.

The Interagency Task Force for Free and Fair Elections (IATF) was established in accordance with the Election Code. Its primary aim is to prevent violations of election legislation by public servants and respond to any infractions. The commission is chaired by Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze.

For inquiries regarding the commission’s activities, the IATF can be contacted via email at iatf@justice.gov.ge or through the hotline: (+995) 599 85 00 11.