Georgian Government’s Policy on Corporate Responsibility
Sustainable Development Goals and Business in Georgia
Nationalization of Sustainable Development Goals in Georgia
In September 2015, the UN General Assembly passed a Resolution number A/RES/70/1 approving 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The Resolution outlines 17 goals and 169 targets of sustainable development, that are inter-related and cover three dimensions – economic, social and environmental. For the time being, the 2030 Agenda is the only global agenda similarly involving all UN member countries.
The same year, Government of Georgia started the process of nationalization of the sustainable development goals, declaring all 17 goals and 93 targets of the Agenda as national priorities. The process involved all respective Georgian Government agencies, UN agencies operating in Georgia and the civil society.
With the support from international and local experts and international organizations, the Georgian Government administration prepared the National Document – Matrix on sustainable development goals. The document outlines global and national targets to be accomplished by Georgia by 2030, Georgia-tailored national indicators to measure the accomplishment of each target, and respective leading agencies responsible for the accomplishment of each individual target. Monitoring of the accomplishment of sustainable development goals should be carried out following each item in the Matrix.
Coordination of Sustainable Development Goals on the National Level
Sustainable Development Council (SDG Council) and following four thematic work groups were created to coordinate the process and monitor the implementation of sustainable development goals and targets.
SDG Council is chaired by the Head of the Administration of the Government of Georgia. Analytical and technical support is provided by the Secretariat, and these functions are assumed by Policy Planning Unit of the Policy Planning and Coordination Department at the administration of the Government of Georgia.
Monitoring the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
In Georgia, monitoring of SDG implementation is carried out by the Secretariat, in the beginning of February of each year. The agencies involved in the monitoring system have a month timeline to submit their reports to the Council through the system. Annual report is presented to SDG Council and the thematic work groups.
On the global level, monitoring of the implementation of SD goals is responsibility of the UN’s High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLFP), to which the Voluntary National Reports (VNR) on SDG implementation should be presented. Georgia submitted its first VNR in 2016 while the next one was submitted in 2020).
See also Voluntary National Review
Georgia presents its VNR to the DLPF once in four years, and the final report will be produced by 2030.
Sustainable Development Goals and Business in Georgia
SDGs are a framework for businesses to guide them on the ways how to plan their CSR strategies and the indicators for which they should assume responsibility (find out more about CSR and Sustainable Development). Thus, implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda in Georgia naturally facilitates to the development of corporate responsibility and creates a favorable environment for its adoption.
Information on the contribution of Georgian business companies in the implementation of the sustainable development national targets can be found in the UN Global Compact study report Private Sector Contribution to Georgia’s 2020 Voluntary National Review on Sustainable Development Goals, Global Compact Network Georgia, 2020.
To find out more, see:
