Public Defender Invites UN Special Rapporteur on Environment and Human Rights to Georgia
By Levan Abramishvili
Monday, November 18
Public Defender of Georgia Nino Lomjaria invited United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment David Boyd to Georgia. In the letter of invitation, the Public Defender asks the Special Rapporteur to assess the impact of the construction of hydropower plants on environmental, ecological and socio-economic interests and human rights in the country.
The letter highlights the shortcomings in policies and regulations relating to the construction of hydropower plants that in practice threaten citizens' right to live in a healthy and safe environment.
“The negative consequences of the construction of hydropower plants are the severe interference with the ecosystem and negative impact on the environment. The Public Defender's Office has been actively overseeing the construction of hydropower plants in the country in recent years, as an area closely linked to the realization of the right to live in a healthy and safe environment,” says the Ombudsman’s Office.
The Public Defender expressed hope that the UN Special Rapporteur's visit and his recommendations will be relevant in resolving the active discussions over the last 10 years on the construction of hydropower plants in the country and will assist the State to ensure fair use of energy resources and protection of legitimate public interests of environmental protection, socio-economic needs and the right to live in a safe environment.
Special Rapporteurs are independent, impartial experts who serve in an individual capacity and are not paid by the UN. They fall under the UN Special Procedures category, along with working groups, Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, high-level fact-finding missions and Independent Experts. They comprise the most effective, flexible and responsive mechanisms within the UN human rights system.
Rapporteurs study the country’s institutional, legal, judicial and administrative regulations, assess the human rights situation and make recommendations based on the visit, which are then published as public reports.
For the Special Rapporteurs to conduct official visits to States, 114 States have issued standing invitations to all Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Georgia has issued the standing invitation on 30 March 2010.
From 2000 to 2019, almost twenty different Special Procedures have been carried out in Georgia. Most recently Independent Experts on sexual orientation and gender identity and the Working Group on Business and Human Rights visited the country.
Special Rapporteur on Environment and Human Rights, established by the Human Rights Council in March 2012, is mandated to study the human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and promote best practices relating to the use of human rights in environmental policymaking.
In March 2018, the Human Rights Council further extended the mandate and appointed David Boyd as the Special Rapporteur.
