Georgia/ 2. General objectives and principles of cultural policy  

2.3 Cultural policy objectives

In 2004, strategic goals for cultural policy were developed by the Ministry of Culture, Monument Protection and Sport for a period of 5 years. These are:

• protection, popularisation and provision of a legal framework for the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Georgia;
• support for cultural centres / organisations of national significance;
• development of infrastructure in the cultural sphere to promote equal participation in cultural life for the regions of Georgia;
• sustainability of the system of creative education;
• maximisation of contributions from the cultural sphere to the economy of Georgia; and
• creation of a free and competitive space in the sphere of culture.

In 2007, the Strategic Goals for the Ministry of Culture, Monument Protection and Sport for the Years 2007-2010 were amended as follows:

• Strategy 1: Preservation, rehabilitation, classification, certification and promotion of cultural heritage monuments;
• Strategy 2: Development of modern systems of cultural heritage management and provision of support to cultural heritage institutions;
• Strategy 3: Promotion of arts organisations and programmes;
• Strategy 4: Development of cultures of national minorities;
• Strategy 5: Promotion of arts and sports education by the state; and
• Strategy 6: Promotion of healthy way of life among wider layers of the population and promotion of Georgia on an international sport arena (for further information on these goals see chapter 4.1).

The elaboration of these specific goals represents an important step forward in comparison to the more general ones published by the Ministry of Culture in the National Report of 2001. Reforms and programmes of both a general institutional nature and directly in the support of cultural heritage have also advanced.

However, within the context of priorities of the Council of Europe the ideas of promotion of identity and diversity declared by the government have no real material and economic basis but rather a political one, especially in some regions.

In 2010, the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection focused on three priorities:

• promotion of different art fields;
• restoration of cultural heritage monuments; and
• building of a positive image of Georgia worldwide.

Several programmes implemented in terms of the first priority, Promotion of different art branches, represent an attempt to promote the main principles of European cultural policy such as encouragement of national identity and diversity and support for creative work (see chapter 4.2).

The priorities of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia for 2011-2014 are:

• Priority 1: Promotion of the art education system;
• Priority 2: Building of a positive image of Georgia worldwide;
• Priority 3: Promotion of the cultural heritage and improvement of the museum system; and
• Priority 4: Promotion of various art fields.

After the Russia-Georgia military conflict in 2008, the cultural policy of the separatist governments in the breakaway "independent" republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been openly nationalistic and anti-Georgian. In particular, this relates to the immovable monuments of cultural heritage (see chapter 4.2.2) and teaching and use of the Georgian language (see chapter 4.2.5). The Georgian state has opposed this policy using legal measures (Law on Occupied Territories, see chapter 5) and financial tools (financing of programmes for reintegration and integration, promotion of culture of national minorities, see chapter 4).

Special attention will be paid, in the joint strategic priorities of the Ministries of Culture and Monument Protection and Internal Affairs of Georgia for 2011-2014, to the active involvement of UNESCO in the problems of protection of cultural heritage and the education sphere in the Georgian territories occupied by Russia.  

On 15 October 2010, the new Constitution of Georgia was adopted, which changes the system from a presidential state model to a mixed parliamentary-presidential model. Consequently, the powers of the prime minister and the Parliament were strengthened and the presidential functions have diminished. The Constitution takes effect step by step: the section regarding judicial power has been put into force already, while the section regarding the functions of the prime minister, parliament and president will take effect after the next parliamentary and presidential elections (end of 2012, 2013).

In 2011, in the context of the adoption of the new Constitution and the declaration of the entrepreneurial model of cultural policy, the theme of correlating culture and the economy is emphasised:

• employment in the culture sphere;
• support for investment and tourism; and
• development and support of the "creative industries" (the sphere of culture is defined as the creative industry and is consequently considered as one sector of the economy).

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