The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is committing new funds to address solid waste treatment issues in Batumi and the wider Adjara region in Georgia. A sovereign loan of up to €19 million for Adjara Waste Management Company will help tackle some of the most pressing environmental challenges faced by the tourist region’s inhabitants and visitors. 

The first committed tranche of up to €3 million will be used to purchase new solid waste management equipment. This will enable the borrower to start new landfill operations and, consequently, stop waste being disposed of at the current non-European Union (EU) compliant dumpsites. The second uncommitted tranche of up to €16 million will be used to build a new waste treatment plant, allowing the company to recover recyclables and divert waste sent to the new sanitary landfill. 

The investment will address the priority needs of Batumi and the wider Adjara region. This includes stopping the disposal of waste at existing dumpsites in Kobuleti and Batumi, with the latter being the largest and most dangerous polluter in Georgia. “These dumpsites are active sources of land, water and air pollution, impacting the ecosystem of the region in particular, and the Black Sea in general,” says EBRD. 

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Press release

The United Nations family in Georgia expresses dismay at the recent suicide of a teenage girl from Kobuleti, extends its deepest condolences to the family and calls for a thorough investigation of the circumstances that led to her death.

This tragedy points to persistent stigma around rape, sexual violence and exploitation and gender inequality in Georgia,  shortcomings on the part of the child protection system, along with gaps in psycho-social assessment, provision of support services and child-friendly justice for children in contact with the law.

Wherever lapses are documented, we call for a dedicated effort at improvements, whether in legislation on sexual violence, law enforcement practices, social welfare protection, child protection referral procedures or child-friendly judicial processes.

In the justice system, specialized professionals should be assigned to work on child and sexual violence cases. We also recommend creation of an integrated service for child victims of sexual violence that provides a child-friendly justice process and child psycho-social rehabilitation in one space.

Social norms and attitudes that condone sexual violence against women and girls and blame the victims or prevent professionals from reporting on the cases of violence also need to be confronted.

Immediate and energetic measures are necessary to avoid a repetition of this tragedy and to ensure that the fundamental human rights of women and girls are fully respected at all times and in all situations and that women and girls are equipped with the right knowledge and skills and they are empowered to make decisions about their present and future.

The UN in Georgia stands in solidarity and remains committed to work with the Georgian government, civil society groups, and with the human rights activists to address systemic problems that contribute to such tragedies.

Batumi City Court accepted materials of the Public Defender's Office as factual circumstances in its judgment of 19 September 2016 regarding the case of hindrance to the opening of a Muslim boarding school in Kobuleti.
The court partially upheld the lawsuit of R.K., Chairman of the Georgian Muslims Relations, and M.B., Director of LTD M&B, and ordered the defendant natural persons to eliminate continuous discriminatory action in order to ensure free use of the property located in Kobuleti, including opening and functioning of the boarding school for Muslim children, free use of the property by plaintiffs and persons related to the boarding school, as well as free entry and movement in the vicinity of the boarding school. The defendant natural persons were also ordered to pay 1 lari as moral compensation to the plaintiffs. Batumi City Court fully relied on the local and international equality standards given in the Public Defender’s amicus curiae brief.
On 10 September 2014 the Kobuleti population, which regard themselves Orthodox Christians, slaughtered a pig in front of a boarding school and hanged its head above the school door in order to hamper opening and functioning of the boarding school for Muslims. Since then, no boarding school has been opened in the building.
The Public Defender’s Office started to study the abovementioned case in the context of protection of the freedom of religion and the right to property, as well as fulfillment of positive obligations by the law enforcement agencies. 
The Public Defender released a public statement in response to the Kobuleti incident and called on the law enforcement agencies to protect the Muslims’ rights. The issue was also included in the Public Defender’s parliamentary report 2014¹ and a relevant recommendation was issued concerning investigation of the alleged irrelevant fulfillment of duties by the law enforcement agencies.²
It is important the Muslim community to fully enjoy the freedom of religion on the basis of the equality principle. For this purpose, it is necessary the authorities to take all measures to ensure unimpeded enjoyment of the right, which, among other things, includes elimination of hinderance by the Orthodox population.

Earthquake occurred in Georgia. As the seismic monitoring center's website says, the epicenter was Kobuleti’s south village Zemo Achkva.
The magnitude of the earthquake was 3.7. The earthquake occurred at 9:27 a.m. 

Mr. Giorgi Mghebrishvili, the Minister of Internal Affairs visited Adjara region in connection with opening of the tourist season and personally got acquainted with the activities of the units.
The Minister of Internal Affairs was at Sarpi border checkpoint and Batumi Airport. Mr. Giorgi Mghebrishvili talked to the border-controllers and patrol officers and received detailed information about their activities. The Minister conducted the coastline monitoring during his visit by the high-speed boat of the Patrol Police Department of the MIA.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs sent additional forces to Adjara region, in particular to Batumi and Kobuleti for ensuring the public order during sea season. Civilians’ and traffic safety shall be protected by 270 patrol officers. They will be patrolling in Batumi Boulevard by electric cars and so called Segway. Number of the patrol police officers has been increased by 200 in Batumi Airport and Sarpi border checkpoint.
The Security Police Department of the MIA also increased the number of its personnel for the sea season. The Department has a new building. Adjara Division employs up to 1000 security police officers while the Batumi Boulevard is protected by 100 police officers.
The Border Police Coast Guard Department of the MIA has expanded its capacities. The Department increased the number of its personnel; it operates floating transport means in full readiness and conducts maritime patrolling in 24-hour regime for protection of the safety of holidaymakers.
The Emergency Situations Management Department of the MIA meets the sea season with the relevant equipment. The wooden as well as metal rescue towers are repaired from Sarpi to Choloki. All watch towers are provided with the first aid pharmacy. Seasonal lifeguards have passed training courses in the first medical aid. This year, for the first time, they were given medical ventilation apparatus, which will help them to give the first aid in a more effective way. With the purpose to prevent risks, the swimming area (line) indicating buoys are accommodated in the sea. Signboards providing the holidaymakers with the information on the risk places for swimming in Georgian and English languages are installed on the beach. At the same time, the divers have passed the relevant training for raising their qualification skills. The number of the water devices for the rescue unit has been increased, the equipment of the rescue-divers – renewed and the number of seasonal lifeguards reached 135 persons