TBILISI—On March 9, representatives of the Armenian community in Georgia met with Vladimir Shkolnikov, senior advisor of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the South Caucasus. The subject of the meeting was ethnic minority rights in Georgia.
The meeting was organized by the Open Society Georgia Foundation and was hosted by the Armenian Cultural, Educational and Youth Centre “Hayartun.”
Shkolnikov discussed some of the recommendations that were presented to the government of Georgia by various UN agencies, working in the sphere of human rights.
The guest noted that Georgian authorities were recommended to address the issue of restitution of confiscated properties of religious minorities from the Soviet period and the early period of Georgian independence.
Shkolnikov said that government is responsible for the safeguarding of human rights, but civil society must always play an active role and lend a helping hand to UN human rights agencies.
Members of the Armenian community raised issues concerning the restitution of properties of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia that were confiscated during the Soviet period, the systematic closing of Armenian schools during the rule of the United National Movement, political prisoners, and other issues.
