Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili and First Deputy Public Defender Paata Beltadze are participating in the 12th International Conference being organized by the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC) in the Mexican city of Mérida. Ombudsmen from more than 50 countries of the world's five continents are represented at the event. The conference participants will draft a declaration, which will emphasize the special and new roles of ombudsmen in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

The 15-year plan of the Sustainable Development Goals is aimed at eradicating poverty throughout the world, establishing equality, realizing political, social, economic and cultural rights, achieving social justice, ensuring citizens’ engagement in development of various policies by governments, increasing accountability of government agencies and promoting open governance principles.

The function of the National Human Rights Institutions will be monitoring of the implementation of the new action plan that is of global importance and establishing relations based on respect for human rights between the governmental agencies, business sector, civil society and citizens.

At the third thematic session of the conference the Public Defender of Georgia presented a report on the role of National Human Rights Institutions, means of implementation and best practices of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In his speech Ucha Nanuashvili focused on the fact that implementation of the SDGs is impossible only by the governments’ efforts and that all interested parties must be engaged in the process. The Public defender also talked about the responsibilities of ombudsman’s institutions in the implementation of these important functions.

"I am deeply convinced that the actual implementation of the SDGs largely depends on the degree of public awareness about human rights and the citizens’ ability to make governments accountable to them. We made a decision to set up Human Rights Academy, one of the main aims of which is to launch a wide education campaign on human rights, which will enable various groups of the society to more effectively realize the fundamental rights and freedoms", - said Nanuashvili.

The Public Defender also reviewed the new approaches introduced in the Public Defender's Office last year, importance of the Public Defender's mandate in elimination of discrimination and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, preparation of special reports for identification of challenges in human rights and positive aspects of Public Defender's participation in the implementation of the Government's Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan.

Ucha Nanuashvili suggested foreign colleagues create regional forums, which will assess the implementation of SDGs through the engagement of interested parties once in a year and will develop recommendations for governments.

The conference will be officially completed by adopting the Mérida Declaration on October 10.

Within the framework of the conference Ucha Nanuashvili participated in a meeting of the managing committee of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions. The Public Defender of Georgia was elected as member of the mentioned organization for the first time in 2013 together with five other European Ombudsmen.