Georgia is facing serious environmental challenges. The natural and social environment has been increasingly sacrificed to private economic interests. State mechanisms for restoring the environment damaged by extractive industry activities and protecting the rights of local populations are weak and dysfunctional.
Two reports prepared by the Social Justice Center in cooperation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation Tbilisi Office in 2022 analyzed the gaps in legislation and practice that affect the effectiveness of state supervision over mineral resource extraction activities as well as participation mechanisms in decision-making processes in the mining sector.
This year, the project “Fair, Accountable and Human Rights-Centered Mining Sector in Georgia” aims to follow up on the previous research and prepare the ground for a broader discussion on taxation and benefit-sharing systems of the mining sector in Georgia. For this reason, it is important to involve relevant stakeholders, economists, other expert groups, etc. in analyzing and evaluating existing models and proposing a more equitable framework. For this purpose, at least two meetings with stakeholders and policy makers will be organized. In addition, the results will be shared with the public and local communities through articles, blogs, videos, and infographics to help them better address environmental issues and engage with the government and companies.
