Georgian NGOs Meet Parliamentarians in Groundbreaking Session

by Nino Saakashvili and Manana Dumbadze & photo by ISAR-Georgia

Nearly 500 representatives from different Georgian NGOs met with the Speaker of Parliament, Zurab Zhvania, and other prominent parliamentarians in a five-hour meeting on May 9. The meeting was the first time national government leaders had asked for a meeting with NGOs to discuss how government and the Third Sector can work better together.

Zhvania, who convened the meeting, noted in his opening speech that cooperation and communication between the government and nongovernmental organizations is very weak and needs to be improved, but said that he hoped this meeting would be one of many which would stimulate a better relationship between the government and the Third Sector. Zhvania pinpointed lack of trust as the most significant obstacle hindering a better working relationship. While complaints that the government does not respond effectively to local concerns are valid, he said, most government bureaucrats are not familiar with NGOs and do not yet see a reason to work with them.

Zhvania said that the best way to build trust is to establish the principle of transparency throughout state institutions. Parliament has already adopted the principle that all proceedings related to the adoption of new legislation must be open to the public. Draft legislation must be published in an official, publicly-available journal; only then can the bill be considered in committee. At least five days before a bill is considered in committee, an announcement must be placed in the journal and the media given information about the place and time of consideration. Zhvania acknowledged that the results of the new transparency policy are uneven. He noted that Parliament must take responsibility for establishing permanent contacts with NGOs.

In conclusion, Zhvania said that the government could gain many benefits from the expertise and contributions of the NGO sector, and stated that the government is committed at the highest level to involving the Third Sector in decision-making discussions.

In response to these comments, the president of the Georgian NGO Institute for Civil Society, Levan Berdzenishvili, suggested that the government might explore mechanisms for rendering financial assistance to nongovernmental organizations, for example through the establishment of a specific fund for the Third Sector.

Zhvania responded that he would not recommend a fund dedicated solely to the Third Sector as a first priority, but rather that the government's budget ear-mark funds for certain programs. Through an open competition for such grants, NGOs as well as businesses or public agencies could undertake projects beneficial to themselves and the public interest.

David Usupashvili, president of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, said it is important for the government to recognize the difference between mutual-benefit NGOs (those addressing the needs of their members) and public-benefit NGOs (those oriented toward societal problems). Once this distinction is made, the government can determine the most effective system of tax exemptions. Usupashvili emphasized that such a system would help the government avoid charges of favoritism, strengthening the image of both the government and the Third Sector.

Other NGO representatives, such as Niko Orvelashvili, president of the International Center for Reformation and Development of Georgia, stressed that they were not requesting assistance from the government but sought to gain recognition for their work and express support for the adoption of the law on the NGOs currently being drafted by four leading Georgian NGOs.

After the open discussion session, the Speaker concluded the meeting by encouraging NGOs to play a more active role in lobbying the government. He noted that through strategic lobbying, NGOs can have an impact on legislative and executive bodies. He assured them that Parliament is both obliged and willing to participate in such meetings, and that hearing the voice of the Third Sector allows them to hear the nation.

Nino Saakashvili is director of ISAR-Georgia. Manana Dumbadze is coordinator of ISAR-Georgia's NGO press center.

www.isar.org/isar/GNGOSmeetGov47.html