Georgia’s UN Representative criticises NGO bias in parliamentary inquiry

David Bakradze, Georgia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on Monday made pointed remarks during a parliamentary investigative commission session, criticising the political bias of several non-governmental organisations that, according to him, no longer maintain neutrality.

In his remarks, Bakradze recalled several negative experiences from his time as Georgia’s Ambassador to the United States, when some NGOs would visit the US and promote their own agenda - requiring him, as Ambassador, to step in and counter the narrative spread by these influential Georgian NGOs.

“There were numerous negative examples. One, which I mentioned openly, involved an NGO signing a lobbying contract on behalf of the United National Movement. On several occasions, when three or four NGOs would visit the US and engage in public discussions, I had to ensure I was included in those dialogues. It was critical for me to respond and counter their narratives, which were frequently one-sided”, the official said.

“As soon as an NGO loses the essence of impartiality, political interests inevitably become visible. Perceptions of NGOs are typically those of an objective referee, but in many cases, particularly in Georgia, that perception is unfortunately not grounded in reality”, he continued.

He added that substantial time and energy had to be spent mitigating the impact of these organisations’ representations.

“These were mainly the same NGOs we regularly see - Transparency International Georgia, GYLA [Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association], and ISFED [International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy]. They would arrive with their own agenda. Where possible, leveraging our relationships with think tanks and academic institutions hosting those discussions, I made sure to have a platform to present the state’s position”, Bakradze concluded.