December 10 is the day of protection of human rights. 70 years ago, on December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations has adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration is based upon the common values of each person being born free and equal in their dignity and rights. Protection and respect towards human rights is the obligation of each state and the goal, towards which every democratic state must aspire.

Throughout 2018, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) has been maintaining its human rights protection work through litigation, monitoring and advocacy. In 2018, over 36’500 persons have benefited from the free legal aid of GYLA. Legal documents were prepared for over 4’700 persons (lawsuits, applications, statements, etc.), 120 cases have completed successfully already. Strategic litigation and advocacy of GYLA have made an important impact towards improvement of legislation and practice in various spheres of human rights. Monitoring efforts of GYLA have allowed revealing those issues, where additional efforts are necessary to resolve existing problems.

Below is the overview of the key challenges, identified by GYLA through its work in 2018: