EU Ambassador Statement on World NGO Day
On February 27, on the occasion of World NGO Day, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, issued a statement underlining the role of NGOs in safeguarding the values shared by the EU and Georgia, stressing their necessity for any democracy and in particular in the context of Georgia’s European integration. He stressed civil society organizations’ role in political life as a link between citizens and political leaders, and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the work of NGOs in Georgia and around the world.
The statement begins by emphasizing the “pivotal role” of NGOs “in ensuring the values that European Union and Georgia share – democracy, freedom, the rule of law and human rights, including the rights of minorities.”
Ambassador Herczyński highlights the performance of NGOs in monitoring government as “an essential element of any democracy”. He also stresses their importance in providing “vital social services,” especially to vulnerable communities. Noting that Georgia “benefits from a vibrant civil society”, the Ambassador says that “NGOs make valuable contribution to Georgia’s EU integration”.
He emphasizes NGOs role in amplyfying the voices of people “that might otherwise go unheard,” stressing that the NGOs “serve as a vital bridge between citizens and political leaders.”
The Ambassador reaffirms the EU’s commitment to supporting the work of NGOs, stressing that their “meaningful involvement is crucial to build a more just, equitable, and prosperous future for all of us.”
Recently Georgian NGOs have often been the subject of verbal attacks and accusations of “lack of transparency,” “political bias,” “funding extremism,” etc. by government leaders, including the Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, and others.
Also Read
- 20/01/2024 – Speaker Lashes out at Tolerance Center, SovLab, CSOs, USAID Over Stalin’s Image in Church
- 25/10/2023 – Speaker: USAID and EED ‘Fund Extremism in Georgia’
- 02/10/2023 – Security Service Says USAID-funded Trainers were Plotting to Foment Unrest in Georgia
- 22/04/2022 – Kobakhidze Slams ‘NGO Clan’ Over Judiciary Criticism
- 10/03/2023 – Quick Take | “Foreign Agents” Bill Down, but Ruling Party Rhetoric Not Out
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
