MINELRES: Georgia: NGO on the draft Concept of minority integration

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Arnold Stepanian <arnostep@yahoo.com>


PUBLIC MOVEMENT MULTINATIONAL GEORGIA

37 Rustaveli Ave., 5th entr., 2nd floor,
Tbilisi                                              
Tel/Fax: (995 32) 99 87 90 
Tel: (995 32) 99 52 28
E-mail: mng_a@yahoo.com


Declaration

With regard to the discussion of the "Concept on the Policy in the
Sphere of Integration of Ethnic Minorities" drafted by the parliamentary
Committee on Civil Integration, the Multinational Public Movement of
Georgia declares that this document:

- needs further deliberation in terms of its non-compliance with the
legal normative acts of Georgia; 
- contains a number of mutually exclusive provisions;
- includes the notions with superficial definitions of some terms;
- to a great extent is focused on protection of ethnic minorities'
rights rather than on "implementation of the policy in the sphere of
integration of ethnic minorities".

Although many of provisions of the concept duplicate the international
normative-legal acts, Conventions, Treaties, Recommendations and other
documents in the sphere of protection of the ethnic minorities, the
Concept in such form cannot be considered as a realistic one due to the
existing grave social and economic situation in the country, in
particular due to the lack of financial resources necessary for
realization of the Concept's provisions.

We do believe that the principles declared in the Concept, apparently,
constitute the "guarantees for protection of ethnic minorities, and
promote development of national cultures and languages", actually they
mislead the population of Georgia. The authors of the Concept had no
prior consultations with the representatives of minorities'
organizations, which are target groups of the Concept.  In addition, the
"discussion" of the Concept held on 5 December 2002 at the session of
Committee on Civil Integration of the Parliament of Georgia, with
participation of heads of ethnic communities' organizations and other
representatives of non-governmental sector, was non-constructive because
of limitations from organizers' side in expressing by some ethnic
minorities organizations' representatives their position concerning
remarks on mentioned Concept. The given situation, taking place at the
same time on the background of discriminative sayings towards
communities' representatives present, caused protest of the latter which
was expressed in collective leaving of conference-hall.

It is necessary to note also that such treatment is radically incorrect
and is able to renew passivity from ethnic minorities' side in
implementation of integration policy. In its turn it will be irreparable
damage in case of civil society building in Georgia, and will hurt last
years' achievements in sphere of civil integration as well.

We also think that civil integration implies, first of all,
consolidation of population by civil principle and discussion of the
given issue both in regions where ethnic minorities compactly live and
regions mainly inhabited by ethnic majority. So for implementation of
civil integration processes it is necessary support and participation of
not only ethnic minorities, but also ethnic majority. Proceeding from
abovementioned, we consider that it is necessary to look through
directions of mentioned Concept once more, from "policy in national
minorities' integration field" to policy in field of civil integration.

Press-service of Public Movement Multinational Georgia