OCHA-Georgia Information Bulletin Apr 2003

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) would like to announce changes in the frequency of its Information Bulletin. As of April 2003, the Bulletin will be issued once a month (on 31st of each month). Length of the Bulletin may vary depending on the amount of information, thus it will not appear in previous standard 2-page format. Organisations willing to publish their information are also welcome to submit photos reflecting their activities and projects.
Feature:

Women for Peace

The Southern Caucasus Regional Coalition "Women for Peace" was established on 23 March 2003 with the purpose to promote women's role in the conflict resolution, peace building and development agendas in the Southern Caucasus. The Coalition includes women leaders from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

In the framework of the programme, a regional meeting of women leaders representing the NGO communities of the Southern Caucasus countries was held in Tbilisi, Georgia on 23 March 2003. The purpose of the meeting was to share the information, experience and positive practices of women's peace-building initiatives at the country level and the possibilities of the regional collaboration in this field.

All members of the newly established coalition adopted the joint appeal to the world community suggesting to consolidate efforts for the political resolution of the Iraq crisis and to find all possible resources for the peaceful regulation of the current situation; calling on to the common actions on necessity to involve women in the process of peaceful regulations at all levels of governance.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan -The Benefits to Georgia

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Export Oil Pipeline (BTC) should create an energy corridor development that should connect Caspian Sea Coast to Turkish Mediterranean, to provide oil and gas for European and US Markets. The political significance of project has been recognised by the US Government, that indeed directly advocates continuing and expanding of export routes in its National Energy Security Policy. BTC oil pipeline is being promoted by a Sponsor Group, a consortium of oil companies led by the British Petroleum (BP). BP has 90 years of experience in planning, building and operating pipelines and currently owns pipeline systems in at least 10 countries. This experience informs the company's imagination of what the BTC pipelines system may be like. If the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey (SGT) pipelines system goes ahead as planned, it would be a vast social and industrial structure, a gathering of men, women and machines stretching 1,750 kilometres across hills and valleys, mountains and plains, fields and deserts, gardens and rivers that would remain in place for more than 40 years.

The pipelines would be part of a complete system running from the offshore oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea to a tanker terminal on the Mediterranean coast. Through the pipelines US$ 21 million worth of fuel would flow every day.

"BTC is about more than just money and jobs -- BTC is about people. Careful routing ensured that not one single person will be relocated as a result of the project - not in Georgia, not in Azerbaijan, not in Turkey, not anywhere along the 1,700 kilometers pipeline route. Every community along the pipeline route was visited as part of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment process. Public meetings were held, NGOs were engaged and consulted, and extensive feedback was solicited. The result? A world-class project that factors in the concerns of its relevant stakeholders." - William Townsend, Commercial and Reputation Assurance Manager, BTC Pipeline

BTC raised expectations of NGOs, the Government, communities, potential employees. Normally, oil business companies do not get involved in community and infrastructure rehabilitation projects, but this is not the case in Georgia. Expected benefits to Georgia include a transit income in the amount of US$ 2,5 bn over 40 years, direct investment in country during construction, ongoing operations expenditure estimated at US$30 million per year, employment opportunities, encouragement of local procurement opportunities and environmental and community investment programmes. According to the BP, no household will be relocated as a result of the project, and the landowners will be offered fair land compensation.

It is noteworthy that in May 2000, a London-based consultancy company Environmental Resource Management won a contract to conduct the Social Impact Assessment studies for the entire system. ERM's work in the Caspian region is being conducted in three distinct parts - Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. It included in its bid for the contract from BP, an agreement that, as a London-based company, it would work with a local environmental consultancy in each of the three countries: Synergetics in Azerbaijan, Gorbi in Georgia, and Kora and Envy in Turkey.

In each country, a team selected from the two companies (ERM and the local partner) carried out the studies. Information leaflets of common concern produced by the ERM were distributed to communities alongside the pipeline. The BTC pipeline needs to be seen as part of a complete system that stretches from offshore oil platform to tanker\terminal. Just one failure in any part of the system could have enormous environmental consequences.

BTC's Environmental Investment Programme (EIP) focuses on projects beyond the mitigation of construction impacts and ground reinstatements. Key themes include: rare and protected species Management, including brown bear and black grouse, management planning for relevant protected areas, support for forest management, biodiversity planning and capacity building for environmental NGOs. The programme is implemented through national and international NGO partnerships.

BTC's Community Investment Programme (CIP) aims to promote sustainable social, economic and environmental development for the communities along the pipeline route. Priority sectors include: support for income generating activities, renewal of rural infrastructure, provision of fresh water and access to sustainable energy. The advisory board reviewed all fourteen proposals that were received, and eventually selected two consortia to implement the CIP in Georgia - one consortium led by Care International and four Georgian partners, and the other consortium led by Mercy Corps, also with four Georgian partners. These consortia are now actively engaging with the communities to prioritize their activities and to tailor the program to the needs and desires of the individual communities along the pipeline route. For their part, communities are not only expected to actively participate in the CIP, but to take an ownership stake in the process. As such, communities are required to contribute 20% of the CIP investment either in cash or in kind.

"The second phase of the CIP will be in longer-term sustainable development projects. Examples of such longer-term projects include providing micro-finance, conducting structural repairs to public facilities, installing water filtration systems and providing fuel-efficient stoves. Ultimately, it is the goal of CIP to build capacity within the communities themselves to ensure that the initiatives that are undertaken as part of CIP are sustainable. Ultimately, it is the goal of CIP to enhance the lives of the Georgian people by helping them to help themselves." - William Townsend, Commercial and Reputation Assurance Manager, BTC Pipeline.

For more information about the BTC Pipeline, please

contact Mr. Willam Townsend, Commercial and Reputation Assurance Manager, BTC Pipeline Company. E-mail: townsenw@bp.com.

Private Arbitration - Alternative for Solving Civil Disputes

On 17 April 1997, the Parliament of Georgia passed the Law on Private Arbitration, which enabled settlement of civil disputes through private arbitrations.

As a result of various land reforms and other real estate privatizations, a number of private owners emerged. Newly created owners have many arguments supporting their decision to prefer arbitration companies vs. courts. Private arbitration hearings may be closed according to the parties' decision, the information is kept confidentially unlike the court proceedings. Moreover, arbitration decisions are mandatory for compliance and the parties consent to comply with the decision. The arbitration decisions are final, and are not subject to further appeal.

The Association for Protection of Landowners' Rights (APLR) is a local NGO working on protection of landowners' rights and development of agriculture and the private sector.

Through the implementation of private arbitration services, the APLR helps owners to solve their problems and disputes. The APLR's Arbitration Pilot Project started on August 2002, and will continue until June 2003. The pilot project is aimed at: (1) effective resolution of property-related disputes between private owners within a short time period, and reasonable costs, (2) providing owners with information about private arbitration, (3) discovering difficulties related to arbitration activities, (4) draft legislative initiative to elaborate the Law on Private Arbitration, and (5) making private arbitration the source of self-financing for the APLR.

The APLR conducted 14 arbitration hearings in Imereti, Akhaltzikhe, and Samegrelo regions. Six disputes concerned property distribution amongst family members; one dispute concerned leased land between a lesser and a lessee; one dispute - between neighbors, etc. The court cases lasted approximately from 12 to 16 months, normally arbitration hearings do not last longer than 2-3 months. Also, arbitration cases cost less than courts. Within the APLR's arbitration project, farmers are usually exempt from the payment of fees. Furthermore, farmers prefer arbitration courts as they are held in their Sakrebulo's or in the territory of their villages.

International organizations, experts and companies that have been involved in arbitration activities participated in the conference. The participants of the conference shared experiences, identified legislative and public awareness problems, and set professional development goals, and ways to solve other important problems.

For more information please contact Jaba Ebanoidze, Director of APLR. E-mail:jaba_ebanoidze@hotmail.com

SECTORS

Assistance to the Vulnerable

In the beginning of April 2003, "SOCO" foundation distributed 2,040 kg food to 200 vulnerable persons in Tbilisi and Rustavi (single pensioners, the disabled, multi-children families and earthquake-affected households in Tbilisi). Assistance included: sugar, rice, oil, flour, baker's yeast, semolina, tea, dry soup, salt, buckwheat, condensed milk, and sweets. The effort was funded by a Dutch sponsor.

On 18 April, a shelter for mothers and children opened in Tbilisi Infants' Home. The Shelter is aimed to settle social problems of mothers which are going to abandon their children due to the difficult socio-economic conditions. The shelter is one of the main components of the project "Deinstitutionalization and Prevention of Abandoning of Infants". The project is implemented by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor, Healthcare and Social Welfare and international organizations: World Vision International, Every Child, and UNICEF. The shelter activities will include training and employment of mothers and will assist them in taking credits and participate in grant projects. Mothers that decide to abandon their children because they cannot make their ends meet, can live in the shelter for a three-month period (in exceptional cases more) and get necessary shelter, food and psychological aid.

Education

With financial support from Jardins de Georgie, the Association of the Disabled of Tsalendjikha started the implementation of micro project which aims to assist kindergartens and to establish free painting and design center for teenagers. Within the framework of the project, teachers will teach painting, design and sewing to local children.

HIV/AIDS

According to the data provided by the AIDS, Infection Pathology and Clinical Immunology Centre of Georgia, the total registered number of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) including April 2003 is 418. Sixty-six infected persons have already died.

The cost of the diagnosis at the center is 12 GEL, however, the center provides free diagnostical services to at-risk groups such as drug addicts, sexual minorities, etc.

Social Conditions

In March 2003, the minimum subsistence level for an employable male was 130 GEL, for individual - 114 GEL, for a family with four members - 226 GEL. Compared to the same period in 2002, this subsistence indicator increased by 4, 2 percent.

Employment

As of 1 April 2003, the registered number of unemployed persons is 40,500; among them 45,5 percent are women. It should be noted that the number of unemployed persons aged 25-50 years has increased by 33 percent compared to the previous month.

Security

During the first quarter of 2003, 4,284 crimes were registered. The rate has increased by 0,5 percent compared to the same period of 2002.

Gross Domestic Production

According to the preliminary data from the State Department of Statistics (SDS), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2003 is 1846,9 million GEL.

LOCAL NGO SPOTLIGHT

Mrevli is the Union for the Protection of Social Interests of Teachers and Youth. The establishment of the organisation was caused by the current educational reforms and hard socio-economical conditions in Georgia.

The main goal of Mrevli is to protect the social rights and interests of the Union members; and assist marginilized families, pensioners and careless children. The organisation also aims to employ teachers, establish modern teaching methods at the school established by the organisation. During 1999-2000, the organisation was selected a winner for the grant competition announced by the Dutch foundation NOVIB. Mrevli will be happy to cooperate with other organizations and agencies with similar activities and interests.

For more information, please contact Ms. Nino Gogeshvili. Tel: (995 99) 92 87 70. E-mail: mrevlli@mail.ru

ABKHAZIA SPOTLIGHT

Georgian-Abkhaz conflict settlement was the main topic of discussion between the new de facto Prime-Minister of Abkhazia, Mr. Khadzhimba, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Georgia (SRSG), Ms. Heidi Tagliavini, and Deputy SRSG Ms. Roza Otunbayeva. The meeting was held on 29 April 2003 behind the closed doors. "I'm satisfied with the results of the meeting," Ms. Heidi Tagliavini said when she briefed journalists. She wished the new de facto Prime-Minister happiness and success in forming the new Cabinet. They have discussed the results of Geneva meeting of the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary General on Georgia of February 2003, as well as the outcome of the Sochi summit of the two Presidents in March 2003. "In the near future we will meet again to discuss the issues related to a peaceful resolution of the conflict," said Ms. Tagliavini.

A second meeting of the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary General on Georgia is scheduled for June this year. Ms. Tagliavini informed her interlocutors about her last meeting with the Special Representative of the President of Russian Federation in Georgian-Abkhaz negotiations, Mr. Valeri Loshchinin. At the same time Georgian Minister for Special Affairs, Malkhaz Kakabadze stated that the Georgian side has had a positive experience with the new de facto Abkhaz Premier. "We have conducted rather constructive negotiations within the framework of the First Working Group for Security and we hope our relationship will continue and that we will progress in the peace process, which has been rather stagnant over the past months," Kakabadze said. (Source: UNOMIG)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

As of April 1, 2003, the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) Zugdidi office will be located at 44 Tavisupleba Street, Zugdidi. The new office is approximately 100-200 m distance from the ICRC office toward the city center on the opposite side of the street. The office can still be reached via the same email address: IRCz@gol.ge and the same telephone number (+995-315) 5-01-08.

The IRC microfinance partner Support for Development (SFD) branch office will continue its operations at 197, Gamsakhurdia St., Zugdidi, 384700 and can be reached via email: SFDzugdidi@gol.ge or phone: (+995-315) 5-01-09.

As of May 2003, OCHA will be organising and chairing local NGO information-sharing meetings. The aim of the effort is to facilitate information exchange and coordination between local NGOs, and organize presentations and discussions on issues of local NGOs' concern.

Organisations willing to participate can contact Maka Esaiashvili, Information Officer, OCHA-Georgia. Tel.: 95 95 16, 94 31 63. E-mail: maka.esaiashvili@unocha.org.ge

With financial assistance from OCHA-Georgia, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) re-published the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement on Georgian, English and Russian Languages. The Guiding Principles address the specific needs of internally displaced persons worldwide.

Publications are available at OCHA office at 9 Eristavi street, UN House.

The Eurasia Foundation (EF) and the Open Society - Georgia Foundation (OSGF), in an effort to foster the development of civil society, improve the transparency of the educational sphere and increase public participation in decision-making, announce a nation-wide two-stage open grant competition for school-based non-governmental organizations (NGO) operating in Tbilisi and the regions of Georgia.

The competition's primary goal is to increase the transparency and improve the management of the educational sphere in Georgia at a local level through increased public involvement in decision-making. To address these issues, EFG and OSGF intend to assist the development of school self-governance by supporting school-related, non-governmental organisations, such as parent teacher associations, school funds, boards of trustees and other organizations, which operate in Tbilisi and outside the capital.

The duration of the project shall be no less than 18 months and no more than 24 months. The grant amount shall not exceed US$ 15,000.

Applicant organisations shall present the following documents:

• Six copies of the proposal in Georgian, Russian or English (in case the proposal are in Georgian, and English or Russian translation must also be provided);
  
  
• One copy of the organization's charter;
  
  
• A copy of the organization's certificate of registration;
  
  
• One written application letter by the organization's head/president on participation in the competition;
  
  
• Other documents specified in the Eurasia Foundation's Proposal Writing Guidelines and Grants Management Questionnaire.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 5 June 2003. For more information, please contact the Eurasia Foundation office at: 3 Kavsadze Street, Tbilisi. Tel.: 22 32 63, 25 39 42/43. E-mail: Georgia@eurasia.org.ge

Produced by OCHA Georgia.

For more information, please contact Ms. Maka Esaiashvili, Information Officer
Tel/Fax: 995-32-959516; Tel: 995-32-943163; e-mail: unocha@unocha.org.ge

Contributions are welcome and should reach OCHA, 9 Eristavi St., Tbilisi by 12.00 hrs. on 9th 19th, and 29th of each month