The UN Independent Expert on the protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, is conducting an official visit to Georgia from 25 September to 5 October 2018.
The human rights expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council is traveling to Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi to meet representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, local authorities, religious leaders, the Public Defender’s Office, individuals and civil society organisations working on issues related to the human rights of LGBT people, and members of the international community.
On September 26, 2018 Yuri Yoursky, ECOM Human Rights and Legal Issues Officer had a meeting with Mr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz in UN House in Tbilisi.
During the meeting, Yoursky presented the latest finding of ECOM’s surveys, where the data on Georgia was collected. In particular the results of Assessment of Existing Strategic Information on HIV among MSM and Trans People in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Macedonia; Internalized Homonegativity Study; MSM and trans community participation in HIV decision-making process in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Macedonia.
The most important thing which was highlighted is the absence of Strategic information related to Trans people in Georgia, the absence of size estimation of trans people in the country, and the minimum of trans people participation in decision-making processes.
Also Yuri brought up the results of Legislative analysis related to SOGI and HIV in Georgia, and emphasis the state of human rights violations of gay men other MSM and trans people in Georgia.
In terms of HIV among MSM in Georgia, the issues of the sharp increase of HIV prevalence among MSM has been discussed a serious public health concern in Georgia. IBBS conducted among MSM in 2015 revealed that HIV prevalence among this group increased from 7% in 2010 to 25.1% in 2015 in Tbilisi. Additionally was brought up the question Regarding the Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS 2019-2021 in Georgia. ECOM Advocacy Coordinator Paata Sabelashvili participated in the process of developmens and comments to the Strategic plan on HIV/AIDS in Georgia 2019-2021. LGBT community was able to participate in it as a part of PAAK (Policy Advocacy Advisory Council) which works as part of the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM).
The independent expert on SOGI assured the issues related to Right to Health of LGBTQ in Georgia will be definitely marked in the country report.
The Expert and Yuri Yoursky on behalf of ECOM agreed on further cooperation in ECOM’s upcoming two studies in the region concerning trans people – focus-group discussions on the needs of trans people in the context of HIV in the five CEECA countries and a web-based study of internal transphobia in 13 CEECA countries.