On 28 and 29 October 2025, a delegation of the International Union of Judicial Officers (UIHJ), composed of Jos Uitdehaag, First Vice-President, and Patrick Gielen, Secretary-General, travelled to Tbilisi, Georgia, for a working visit dedicated to the preparations of the 2026 Spring Council. The event will take place from 7 to 10 May 2026 and will include an international conference, followed by the Spring Council, and conclude with a cultural day.
On 28 October, the UIHJ delegation was received at the Ministry of Justice of Georgia by Mr. Giorgi Dgebuadze, Deputy Minister of Justice, accompanied by Mr. Lasha Modzghvrishvili, Chairman of the National Bureau of Enforcement (NBE), and Ms. Ana Arabuli, International Relations Manager. Discussions focused on the organization of the 2026 Spring Council, the digitalization of justice, the Global Code of Enforcement, and the prospects for further development of the Georgian enforcement system. The Deputy Minister expressed his full support for the hosting of the Spring Council in Tbilisi and reaffirmed the strong institutional cooperation with the UIHJ. The delegation also visited the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, the chosen venue for the event, before attending an official dinner hosted by the Ministry of Justice.
On 29 October, the UIHJ delegation held a working meeting at the NBE headquarters, attended by Lasha Modzghvrishvili, Chairman of the NBE, Davit Tsitsishvili, Deputy Chairman, Irakli Khubulava, Deputy Chairman, Magda Kviralashvili, Head of Tbilisi Enforcement Bureau, Khatuna Gazdeliani, Head of Kvemo Kartli Enforcement Bureau, Ana Utsunashvili, Head of the Department of International Relations and Project Management, and Ana Arabuli, International Relations Manager.
The discussions made it possible to finalize the practical arrangements for the upcoming Spring Council, including logistical, protocol and communication aspects, and to outline the structure of the international conference program. The main topics identified will include the role of judicial officers in a changing world, evictions and online sales in the digital era, and the human factor in the age of artificial intelligence, highlighting the need to maintain a balance between technological efficiency and social responsibility.
The NBE will organize a gala evening celebrating Georgian culture, as well as a cultural day offering participants the opportunity to discover the country’s rich historical and wine-making heritage.
The UIHJ warmly thanks the National Bureau of Enforcement of Georgia for its hospitality and the excellent welcome extended throughout this mission. This visit marks a key milestone in the preparation of the 2026 Spring Council and reflects the strong and fruitful cooperation between the UIHJ and its Georgian partners, working together to promote the modernization of justice and the rule of law.
