On 10th of December, 2008 the Georgia Harm Reduction Network has submitted to the Parliament of Georgia signatures of 58.275 voters for its bill of amendments and supplements to the Georgian Law On Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, Precursors and Narcological Aid”;

The Georgian Harm Reduction Network expresses its gratitude to every person and organization who contributed to this work. >> See also 58,000 Georgian people call for a change in drug legislation

About the cooperation, support and help to fight AIDS and support the HIV-infected

Future without AIDS! – by this new initiative the Public Defender Office, Georgian Harm Reduction Network and organization ‘Article 42 of the Constitution’ organized a joint arrangement on December 1.
A Round Table under the name ‘Mechanisms and means to fight the AIDS’ was organized by the Georgian Harm Reduction Network, Organization ‘Article 42 of the Constitution’ and Public Defender Machine at the Public Defender Office. The Round Table was participated by the representatives of governmental, non-governmental, international organizations and media. After the Round Table, an exhibition of posters ‘AIDS as I see it’ was opened and an awarding ceremony for the authors of winning posters was held.
The public defender of Georgia, Georgian Harm Reduction Network and organization ‘Article 42 of the Constitution’ consider that AIDS is a global problem needing the joint and united action of every member of the society, governmental and non-governmental structures and people with different political credos and opinions.
The members of the Georgian Harm Reduction Network made the following presentations at the Round Table: ‘Effect of the effective legislation on AIDS prevention’ (Dali Urushadze), ‘Epidemiological situation of AIDS’ (George Lomidze), ‘Necessity for liberal drug policy for AIDS prevention’ (Lana Lagvilava). It should be noted that the arguments given forth in every presentation proved the necessity for cardinal changes in the drug policy.
Georgian Harm Reduction Network supported the initiative of the Public Defender and organization ‘Article 42 of the Constitution’ to draft the memorandum on cooperation, support and help to fight AIDS and support the HIV-infected. After learning the content of the Memorandum, the members of the Round Table signed it.
It should be noted that the electronic media thoroughly reported on this meeting. An item was developed about the Round Table and the information was broadcasted by TV companies ‘Imedi’, ‘Rustavi-2’, ‘Caucasus’ and radio stations ‘Freedom’, ‘Mtsvane Talga’, ‘Imedi’ and ‘Public Radio’.

United Nations Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillayon, on the occasion of World AIDS Day
1 December, 2008
Keeping the Promise: Human Rights and AIDS

GENEVA - This year, we mark both the 20th World AIDS Day and the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is fitting that during these landmark anniversaries we consider how far we have come in the Global effort to combat AIDS.
In 2006, UN Member States made a commitment to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. Today, fewer people are becoming infected with HIV, and fewer are dying of AIDS-related illness. At the end of 2007, three million people in low-and middle - income countries were taking anti-retroviral treatment. But much remains to be done.
Twenty-seven years after AIDS was first identified, stigma against people living with HIV is as strong as it ever was. One third of countries still do not have laws to protect people living with HIV. In most countries, discrimination remains against women, men who have sex with men, sex workers, drug users, and ethnic minorities.
The continued existence of punitive laws on disclosure of HIV status, the criminalization of the transmission of HIV and travel bans for people living with HIV, inadequate protection of women and girls from sexual violence, the marginalization of and hostility against sexual minorities, sex workers, injecting drug users, prisoners and other vulnerable groups all combine to drive them underground and away from HIV services. Like all people, these groups are entitled to the right to health and the full enjoyment of their human rights even though they may engage in activities that are criminalized in some countries.
AIDS thrives on injustice and inequality. A human rights-based response is critical to preventing new HIV infections and mitigating the epidemic’s impact - whoever people are, wherever they live.
In this 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, it is unacceptable that accident of birthplace or residence should determine our HIV survival prospects.
On world AIDS Day 2008, let the promise of human dignity enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provide the vision and impetus for reinvigorated efforts to achieve Universal access to HIV prevention, treatments, care and support.

A bill on the drug use was developed by the Georgian Harm Reduction Network.
Signatures of 30.000 electors are needed to submit the bill before the Parliament to hear the public opinion and opinion of the citizens bearing the heavy load of drug problems in Georgia.
According to the mentioned legislation, the state on the one hand, recognizes a drug user as a sick person and drug use as an illness, and prescribes punishment for the people with such an illness on the other hand.
Extensive fines used as a treatment and prevention ‘method’ first of all, damages even so damaged families, wives, children and parents of drug users. If a user is unable to pay the fine, he/she gets imprisoned. As for the prison conditions, they are well known to everyone.
As the studies demonstrate, most of the prisoners continue using drugs resulting in an increased risk of infecting with AIDS and Hepatitis C.
Although the recent legislative changes were as if designed to prosecute drug distributors, any user could fall in the given category, even if he/she had the illegal drug for his/her personal use only or in minor quantities. The ones supplying the drugs in major amounts remained in shadow continuing drawing our citizens (mostly the youth) in using drugs.
The scales of the practice of so called ‘throwing drugs’ to desecrate somebody are also well-known.

The essence and idea of the changes to the bill are described below:
The bill envisages increased sanctions for drug distributors and it legally requires the drug users to undergo a course of treatment at the expense of the state at least once in his/her life. The state is obliged to cover the cost of treatment within 6 months from the day of the user’s request.
Any ‘ungrounded’ arrest of drug users for the sake of expertise is to be abolished unless the user is involved in any other illegal act. The drug owners are to be marginalized by the principle of whether they had the drug for their own use or for realization. The sanctions to the ones owning the drugs to realize are going to be stricter.
The bill unilaterally establishes that a person cannot be arrested for using drugs, but following the interests of protecting the society members, using drugs at public places, such as parks, public gardens, in the entrances, at schools, etc. will entail administrative punishment. In addition, the amounts of fines will be reduced from 500 GEL for using drugs as per the present law to 300 GEL for using drugs at public places.
The principal reason for such a reduction is that the burden of paying the fine is in most cases laid on the drug user’s family. A great fine increases the temptation for corruptive deals on the one hand and urges the user to commit a crime to obtain the necessary money.
The bill underlines the necessity for implementing treatment and rehabilitation programs.
So, according to the given bill, a drug user is a sick person, who must not be punished or imprisoned, but who should undergo treatment. There should be conditions created in the society under which the user shall have the choice of a healthy life and of becoming a full member of the society.

October, 20-21, 2008

The Second National Conference on the Reduction of Harm caused by drug-use was held at the Hotel ‘VERE PALACE’ on October 20-21, 2008. The organizers of the Conference were GEORGIAN HARM REDUCTION NETWORK and OPEN SOCIETY GEORGIA FOUNDATION. The Conference was held under the financial support of the European Union, the OPEN SOCIETY GEORGIA FOUNDATION and the GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA.

The Conference was attended by foreign experts: Tom Lloyd (Great Britain), Peter Sarosh (Hungary), Galina Kaminskaya (Ukraine), Raminta Shtuikite (Lithuania), Richard Pirshouse (Canada), Huana Thomas Roselo of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, representatives of the organizations on the Georgian Network of Harm Reduction, Leader of the Coordinating Council of Georgia, First  Lady Sandra Elisabed Rulovs, Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Protection Ms. Manana Jebashvili, WHO coordinator in Georgia Mr. Amiran Gamkrelidze, Chairman of the Committee of Health and Social Affairs of the Parliament Mr. Otar Toidze, Head of the Social Service of the Penitential Department Mr. Anton Kelbakiani and representatives of other international, governmental and non-governmental organizations of the South Caucasus anti-drug Program. >>See full text here

Harm Reduction Network of Georgia (HRNG) held a meeting at the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia on 30th April 2008 within the scope of its current project titles Drug Policy Advocacy and Capacity Building of Harm Reduction

Purpose of the meeting was to share reliable information on current processes in drug policy, increased public awareness on problems of drug usage, advocacy of pragmatic and non-discriminatory approaches and to get public support.

The following took part in the round table Public Defender of Georgia, representatives of health, local and international NGOs and mass media.

According to the statement of the Harm Reduction Network of Georgia the current drug policy violates basic human rights. The state failed to conceptualize social and healthcare aspects of drug usage and has been unable so far to introduce the adequate public healthcare system.

Availability of medical treatment programmes in Georgia is limited while social programmes are non-existent. Instead of enabling the drug users to reintegrate into the society they are fined and even imprisoned for illness, the latter creating more dangerous environment for drug usage.

Experts of Harm Reduction Network of Georgia have noted that as a result of changes in testing and registration system initiated by the Ministry of Interior of Georgia the latter assumed fully consolidated powers in the field. As a result of the mentioned the number of individuals gathered for testing was substantially increased - in 2007 57375 persons underwent obligatory testing. However, no trace of drugs was found among 35000 people.

The republican budget revenues from penalties levied for drugs totaled 30 mln GEL, while the only 250 thousand GEL was allocated for combating the problem.

According to the position of the participating NGOs the only available state instrument is the obligatory drug testing of population and limitation of certain human rights to drug users.

`It is essential presently to make sure that the State acknowledges the socially harmful results of the existing legislation and law enforcement practice. It needs to develop a strategy based on the respect of human rights and the principles of public health. Every individual has right – not a privilege to maintain and improve one’s health” declared the Public Defendant of Georgia.

Footage with supporting information was made about the round table subsequently broadcasted through Rustavi 2, Mze, Adjara, Kavkasia, Voice of America and other TV companies.

General impressions from CND. -The NGO Forum at CND was held on March 12 and summarized the results of regional consultation under the Beyond 2008 initiative by VNGOC. NGO meeting was opened with UNODC Executive Director’s speech. Mr.Costa welcomed participants and highlighted the role of nongovernmental sector in drug demand reduction field NGOs have never been so active and influential in supporting the meeting agenda. Several statements by NGOs were made at the thematic debates, including statements by EHRN, IDPC, AHRN, OSI and INPUD. All statements will be shortly available and posted on a web. Some highlights from CND thematic debated on demand reduction. . . For the full text see…

Within the scope of the HRNG’s current project titled Drug Policy Advocacy and Capacity Building of Harm Reduction Network of Georgia, a meeting was held with mass media representatives at Alternative Georgia premises on 23rd February 2008.

Purpose of the meeting was to strengthen the cooperation with mass media, inter alia by providing information on current trends in drug policy. Participants of the meeting were the HRNG member organizations, representatives of printed and electronic media and MP Kukava.Topics covered at the meeting are as follows:1. Operation of the Harm Reduction Network of Georgia – purposes, aims and goals, milestones; 2.Need to liberalize drug policy, new legislative initiative.

The meeting sparks keen interest of journalists confirmed by their active participation in the dialogue.Experts shared comprehensive information on the need to liberalize the drug policy in Georgia, thereby noting the aspects which they find disagreeable in the new legislative initiative.

Participants of the meeting were as follows:

1. Harm Reduction Network of Georgia (HRNG);
2. Representatives of printed and electronic media of Georgia.

Moscow AIDS Conference Blocks Drug Treatment Patients, Groups Charge -In advance of a regional AIDS conference in Moscow, nearly 90 health and human rights groups from 27 countries today petitioned a top health official to allow drug treatment patients to enter Russia with their medications. For the full text see…

Press-Conference Dedicated to The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. With the support of the “Open Society Georgia Foundation” on the 26th of June: The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, The Georgian Harm Reduction Network (GHRN) held press-conference with the name “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back”.

The Georgian Parliament held first hearing on the Package of Law about the Fight against Drug Crime and the amendments made in the Administrative Code of Georgia.
According to the new legislation the administrative penalty for drug use increases from 500 GEL to 1000 GEL ($600) and the alternative treatment is abolished altogether.

The conference participants highlighted that above mentioned amendments will not help to reduce the number of drug users, on the contrary, such legislation will increase their number.

With this new law the programmes of public health, such as treatment of drug dependents and implementation of preventive programmes of HIV/AIDS, C Hepatitis and other infectious diseases will be seriously questioned.

Against a background of such legislation, drug users (who are main carriers of HIV/AIDS, C Hepatitis and other infectious diseases) will be unable to participate in the preventive programmes and there will be only few options left for them…

The second part of the conference was dedicated to reveal and reward the winner of the competition among journalists, held in the frame of the Harm Reduction Press-Club. The aim of the competition was to estimate the best article written on the harm reduction issue.

It is noticeable that the conference was highly highlighted by the local mass-media.

Parliament of Georgia adopts “The national anti-drug policy’s basic directions”

Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia

About confirmation of Georgia’s national anti-drug policy’s basic directions

Drug abuse is a global problem and is a matter of consideration to all countries. The consequences of drug/psychotropic substance usage is devastating to Georgia as well. Lately, in our society and especially in youth, drug abuse is spreading rapidly. This is assisted by the fact that Georgia has no national drug policy, consequently, measures against it are ineffective. Country’s and society’s control over illicit drug/psychotropic substances trade is only possible through complex, balanced and consistent anti-drug policy, with priorities like: reduction of demand on drugs/psychotropic substances and restriction of its supply; primary prevention of drug/psychotropic substance acquisition; treatment and rehabilitation of drug users; reducing drug/psychotropic substance related harm; analysis and research of drug related problem situation; effective cooperation with society; recruiting qualified human resources; expansion of international cooperation and improving appropriate legal basis.
Based on all aforementioned and “a” sub-paragraph of 4th paragraph of the article 163 of regulation of Georgia’s parliament, Georgia’s parliament resolves:

1. To confirm attached “Georgia’s national anti-drug policy’s basic directions”.
2. To entrust government of Georgia to prepare and present to the parliament a plan of action by 1st April 2007 according to “Georgia’s national anti-drug policy’s basic directions”.
3. To entrust parliament’s healthcare and social issues committee to carry out the control on execution of this resolution.
4. The resolution shall come into effect after its publication.

Parliament of Georgia
Chairperson Nino Burdjanadze