With the support of the German government, the Council of Sustainable Development Goals of Georgia and CENN has conducted an information meeting with civil society organisations that are not members of the Council.
Representatives of non-governmental organisations had the opportunity to learn more about the activities of the inter-agency Council, its structure and the four thematic Working Groups (WG) under it to see their roles and opportunities for involvement.
The Council of Sustainable Development Goals is a multi-stakeholder platform that facilitates the implementation and monitors the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the country. Its functions are coordination and strategic guidance of inter-agency issues related to the implementation of the SDGs; providing information and ensuring the involvement of stakeholders in the implementation process of Sustainable Development Goals; Developing appropriate recommendations for the integration of SDGs into the national policy etc.
For thematic Working Groups (WG) have been established within the Council on Social inclusion, Economic development, Democratic governance and Sustainable energy and environmental protection.
Each Working Group has three co-chairs – State agencies, UN representations and relevant CSOs. CENN was elected as a co-chair in the WG on Sustainable Energy and Environment Protection (along with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and UN FAO). With the support of GIZ and the German Government, CENN actively cooperates with the SDG Council, its Secretariat and other stakeholders to strengthen the work of Working Groups.
The thematic Working groups are open to the membership of organisations or entities with at least 5 years of work experience in at least one field of the working group; and appropriate (human) resources for stable participation in the WGs activities. More information on the Council’s work, progress on Sustainable Development Goals in Georgia and on becoming a member of Working Groups is available on www.sdg.gov.ge
The information meeting was held within the “Continued Nationalisation of SDGs in Georgia” project, which aims to jumpstart SDG implementation, continue the nationalisation of new targets and commence the localisation of SDGs in Georgia. The program is financed by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
By strengthening the capacity of the SDG Council’s Secretariat, the thematic Working Groups and non-state stakeholders, the project supports the development of institutions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the steps taken by the country toward the Sustainable Development Goals; thus, it contributes to the country’s sustainable development.