Document

Vani Municipality: The First Code of Ethics in Western Georgia

The beginning, as it often happens, was difficult.

The public administration reform was considered less important in the municipality... but the more they got familiarized with the information, the better it was shown what should be done.

The most important thing, that was done in Vani municipality:

The Code of Ethics for self-government public officials was developed and approved!

Vani Municipality is the first, among the municipalities of Western Georgia in this direction.

The document was prepared by the working group, established within the framework of the Fund “Sukhumi” project “A common forum for CSOs from Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi for PAR Roadmap monitoring”.

The working group is leaded by Giorgi Ivaniadze, Deputy Chairman of Vani City Council. The members of the working group are well-known people in the municipality: representatives of the governmental or civil sectors.

According to the group decision, elaboration of the Code of Ethics was entrusted to the Head of the Legal and Human Resources Management Department of the City Hall - Marina Gvinianidze. The first version of the document was discussed in City Hall and City Council services, at the meetings of the City Council, it was posted on the website of the municipality…Dozens of people were informed about a working version of the Code, there were comments. This is how the final version was drafted.

Giorgi Ivaniadze, the head of the working group, who is a lawyer by profession, liked the idea of the Code of Ethics. He actively participated in the process of its creation and gave great importance to it: "The Code of Ethics will help us to establish high standards of public officials, which will directly affect the quality of local self-government activities. It is also attractive, that other self-governments do not have a similar document, and this is a kind of challenge to create an effective document".

The quote from the Code of Ethics: “The Code of Ethics for public officials of local self-government of Vani Municipality establishes general rules of ethics and behavior, the aim of which is to create ethical environment in a public institution and establish professional standards for public officials, which will ensure the creation of impartial, objective and collegial public service and increase of trust of the society towards the public service".

The beginning, as it often happens, was difficult. In February the Code of Ethics was approved at the meeting of the City Council, which was headed by the chairperson of the City Council Aleksandre Liluashvili. This is one aspect of public administration reform. Vani Municipality gives a successful example to other municipalities.

The project is implemented with the support the European Union - #EU4Georgia