A/HRC/31/15 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its twenty-third session from 2 to 13 November 2015. The review of Georgia was held at the 13th meeting, on 10 November 2015. The delegation of Georgia was headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khatuna Totladze. At its 17th meeting, held on 12 November 2015, the Working Group adopted the report on Georgia. 2. On 13 January 2015, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Georgia: Algeria, Portugal and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Georgia: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/23/GEO/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/23/GEO/2 and Corr.1); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/23/GEO/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Georgia through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the Working Group. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation of Georgia noted that the review was taking place just after Georgia’s election as a member of the Human Rights Council. Georgia was honoured to become a member; its membership underlined the country’s commitment to further advancing its national and foreign policies for the protection of human rights. 6. Georgia was keen to discuss the human rights situation in the country and saw the universal periodic review as a unique instrument for the promotion and protection of human rights. During the first review cycle, Georgia had undertaken to implement 136 recommendations, and had successfully implemented 98 of these; the implementation of the remaining 38 was ongoing. In 2013, Georgia had submitted a midterm report on the implementation of the recommendations. 7. Georgia’s second national report had been prepared by an inter-agency group which brought together high- and mid-level officials from the executive, judicial and legislative branches. That group had been established in 2014 for the implementation of reporting obligations before the United Nations treaty- and Charter-based bodies. It had also engaged widely with the non-governmental sector; numerous consultative and dissemination activities had been carried out as part of an ongoing process. 3