Georgia's European integration process provides crucial tools to leverage promotion of good governance, rule of law, and a rights-based justice system in the country. The European integration agenda also plays an important role in Georgia's domestic policy and development.

The EU and Georgia signed an Association Agreement (AA) in 2014.  Georgia gained visa-free travel to Schengen countries in 2016. The government's goal of EU integration opens the door for ongoing cooperation with civil society.

The Association Agreement is a complex document and the government lacks the necessary capacity and vision to carry out reforms without significant engagement from civil society. In parallel to this, Georgian society is poorly informed about the complexity of the reform process and the long term efforts that will be necessary for Georgia to approximate EU standards.  

In 2017-2020 OSGF, together with its partners will continue monitoring of the Association Agreement implementation and develop an effective mechanism that will advance Georgia's reform processes, raise public awareness, and increase support for EU integration.

Together with the OSGF-funded Equality Coalition, the foundation will advocate for the improvement of the anti-discrimination law and for strengthening its insufficient implementation mechanism to make sure that the fight against discrimination is irreversible and that reforms do not remain on paper. 

By engaging with EU institutions, making use of Eastern Partnership instruments, OSGF together with its partners will leverage the decision making process in Georgia, and hold the government to greater degrees of accountability. Together with its partners OSGF will advocate for the adoption of the legislation to fight against discrimination, to protect minority rights and to safeguard personal data from misuse. The Foundation will support CSOs to explore EU/Georgia Association Agenda to present evidence-based research and advocate for policy change.

In this strategic period OSGF will support its partners advancing the following goals:

• Greater protection of minorities
• Migration
• Greater government accountability