NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

The National Security Council is a consultative body directly subordinated to the Prime-Minister of Georgia in order to make highest level decisions on national security issues. The Council is the main coordinating institution in the field of national security policy planning. It is headed by the Prime-Minister of Georgia. 

The National Security Council was created in 2019. The legal basis for its functioning is established by the Law of Georgia on “Planning and Coordination Rules of National Security Policy”.

The Council ensures providing information to the Prime-Minister on matters posing threats to national security and state interests, prepares policy decisions of the Prime-Minister, ensures planning and coordination of national security policy at the strategic level.

The Council has both permanent and invited members. The permanent members of the Council are: the Prime-Minister of Georgia, the Minister of Defence of Georgia, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Minister of Finance of Georgia, the Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, the Head of Intelligence Service of Georgia, the Commander of Defence Forces of Georgia and the Head of the Special State Protection Service of Georgia. If necessary, based on the decision of the Prime-Minister, a person nominated and trusted by the President of Georgia or others who are not permanent members of the Council, may be invited to a meeting of the Council.

By the decision of the Prime-Minister, one of the permanent members of the Council is given the mandate of the Secretary of the Council. The Secretary of the Council is accountable only to the Prime-Minister of Georgia in the exercise of his/her powers.

The meeting of the Council, as a rule, is held once in three months and is headed by the Prime-Minister of Georgia. The meeting is convened by the Prime-Minister of Georgia on his/her own initiative or upon the request of a permanent member of the Council. The meeting of the Council is closed. However, by the decision of the Prime-Minister of Georgia, it may be made open to the public. 

History

The term “National Security and Defence Council” first appeared in Georgian legislation on November 6, 1992 in the “Law on State Authorities”.

The National Security and Defence Council was chaired by the Head of State and key objective of the Council was to ensure the country’s defence, security and order.

Under the 1995-2018 Constitution, the National Security Council was subordinated to the President of Georgia and the Council carried out a different set of functions.

According to the 2013 constitutional amendments, the transition to a parliamentary model of governance has significantly increased the executive functions of the government and its role in planning and ensuring national security policy. Therefore, in 2014, to coordinate the security sector, a consultative body of the Prime-Minister – the State Security and Crisis Management Council – was established, which functioned until December of 2017.

In 2018 – in accordance with the constitutional amendments, similarly to the State Security and Crisis Management Council – the President’s consultative body, the National Security Council, was abolished.

Given the need for a coordinating agency in the field of security policy planning and coordination, the National Security Council was established in 2019 based on legislative changes.