June 5 is World Environment Day, which was established by the United Nations in 1972. World Environment Day is the largest global event dedicated to environmental issues, uniting millions of people in the mission of protecting our planet. The main goal of celebrating this day is to raise public awareness of environmental issues and promote the necessary actions to overcome challenges.

In 2021, the UN Human Rights Council recognized a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right. The Constitution of Georgia also recognizes environmental protection as a basic human right. Accordingly, the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia has been overseeing the implementation of this right for many years.

One of the directions of the right to environmental protection is the right to water, which is essential for the full enjoyment of life and realization of human rights. Taking into account the above, in 2024, the Office prioritized work on the issues of the right to water. In particular, a special methodology was developed based on human rights-based approaches and international standards, and representatives of the Office visited 5 regions of Georgia and 35 villages in 15 municipalities. As a result, the Public Defender prepared a special report on “Realization of the Right to Water in Georgia”.

The work carried out revealed that there are a number of challenges to the proper realization of the right to water in Georgia. Among them, problems were identified with almost all criteria of the right to water. One of the main challenges is the lack of awareness among citizens about the content of this right, guarantees for its protection, the quality of drinking water and other issues. In addition, the principle of public participation is practically ignored. The existing challenges require both the improvement of legislative guarantees and the timely implementation of effective steps by central and local self-government bodies.

An informed and interested society is of particular importance for the realization of the right to environmental protection, including the right to water. Taking this into account, in 2025, the Public Defender's Office has been actively conducting information meetings and events related to the right to environmental protection, with special attention being paid to the right to water. Representatives of the Office met with schoolchildren, students and interested citizens of Kutaisi and Borjomi in April and May. The meetings were held in public schools of both cities, Akaki Tsereteli State University and open spaces. (The meetings were held with the support of the UN, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the Kingdom of Norway).

On June 5, in connection with World Environment Day, representatives of the Public Defender's Office held an information event in Rustavi Central Park to raise awareness of the right to environmental protection and introduced interested citizens to their rights.

The Public Defender's Office will continue to actively work on various aspects of the right to environmental protection and, considering the results of thematic studies and supervision, will develop relevant recommendations and promote their implementation.