Strasbourg, 09.02.2009 - The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, starts today a week-long special visit to Georgia in order to review the current status of implementation of the six principles for urgent human rights and humanitarian protection.
"The visit is part of an ongoing monitoring I am carrying out on the respect for human rights and humanitarian principles in the areas affected by last year's conflict" said the Commissioner. "I intend to further the dialogue with all actors involved and boost the implementation of the six principles presented in September."
Commissioner Hammarberg intends to visit places and institutions of human rights relevance in Tbilisi, Sukhumi, the Gali district and the Kodori valley. He will meet with leading national authorities and representatives of international organisations, including the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Further meetings will be held with relevant actors dealing with human rights and humanitarian issues in Sukhumi.
A report is expected to be published in the coming weeks after the visit.
Media contact in the Commissioner's Office:
In Georgia: Bojana Urumova, +33 6 62
16 79 95, bojana.urumova@coe.int
In Strasbourg: Stefano Montanari, +33 6 61 14 70 37, stefano.montanari@coe.int
Press Release
Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights
Communication Unit
Ref: 092a09
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 35 38
Fax +33 (0)3 90 21 50 53
Internet: www.commissioner.coe.int
e-mail: press.commissioner@coe.int
The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent, non-judicial institution within the Council of Europe, mandated to promote awareness of, and respect for, human rights in the 47 member states of the Organisation. Elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the present Commissioner, Mr Thomas Hammarberg, took up his function on 1 April 2006