Eduard Marikashvili, the Chairman of GDI, took part in the ‘Council of Europe Civil Society Summit, The Hague 2023’ on February 28 and March 01. Over 100 human rights advocates from 32 different countries attended the summit.
The summit aimed to formulate concise and well-defined messages for civil society in anticipation of the forthcoming gathering of the Council of Europe's highest representatives, scheduled for May in Reykjavík. The core statement emphasises the need for the Council of Europe to reevaluate its foundational principles, focusing on enhancing democracy, upholding the rule of law, and fortifying human rights protection. It also underscores the importance of empowering and engaging civil society in the aforementioned endeavour.
The overarching messages of the representatives of the civil society of Georgia to the participants of the summit were the dangers of passing the so-called ‘Transparency of Foreign Influence’ bill and sharing information about its devastating consequences for the citizens of Georgia and the country's Western perspective.
Upon the summit's conclusion, a civil society declaration addressing the future reform of the Council of Europe was crafted and is scheduled for presentation to the Council of Europe.
GDI's participation in the summit was made possible through the generous support of our partner, the Swedish organisation Civil Rights Defenders.
