17/10/2023

The second working meeting of the Georgian Corporate Social Responsibility Forum took place on October 13, with the initiative of the Strategic Research and Development Center (CSRDG).

The CSR Forum is a unique platform, which was established by representatives of various sectors. The mission of the forum is to lead the dialogue of stakeholders on the issues of corporate social responsibility and sustainability in Georgia and to promote the establishment of a political and institutional environment supporting responsible business activities.

The working meeting of the forum was attended by representatives of up to forty different civil and international organizations, business associations, educational/academic institutions, and the state sector.

The host of the meeting was Procredit Bank, the winner of the main prize of Georgia’s Responsible Business Awards Meliora (2019) and one of the outstanding companies in the field of corporate responsibility. The company's policy is not only to implement responsible business practices but also to actively support corporate responsibility initiatives throughout the country. In line with this policy, Procredit Bank actively supports the work of the CSR Forum and hosted the forum's workshop on October 13.

For almost a year, forum members have been discussing recommendations for a state policy promoting corporate responsibility. These recommendations are being developed by a working group of Georgian and foreign experts. During the meeting, members of the working group presented their findings.

• Audronė Alijošiutė-Paulauskienė, Lithuanian Responsible Business Association (LAVA), Managing Director
• Giorgi Papava — lead economist at ISET’s Policy Institute, Member of the working group
• Davit Maisuradze — Associated professor at Ilia State University, Member of the working group

The representatives of Procredit Bank — Khatia Kiria (Head of the HR Department) and Irina Kikvadze (Energy Efficiency Expert) briefly presented the bank's sustainability policy and results.

During the forum, Frances Fitzgerald, Member of the European Parliament and Vice President of the EPP Group, and former Minister of Enterprise of Ireland, addressed the members online. Mrs. Fitzgerald, actively involved in development and implementation of Ireland's national CSR strategy, shared insights on the European Commission's policy in this area. She emphasized the importance of developing a national policy promoting CSR in Georgia, showing her support for the CSR Forum of Georgia.

During the meeting, forum members reviewed the initial draft of the state framework policy promoting CSR and discussed the recommendations that should be submitted to the Georgian government.

During the discussion, the parties talked about promoting a green economy and encouraging businesses to be environmentally responsible. They also discussed the introduction of corporate responsibility learning in universities, enhancing the knowledge and skills of civil servants in CSR issues, assessing and managing the negative impacts of companies, and promoting the implementation of sustainable development reporting in Georgia

The completion of the state framework-policy document supporting CSR is planned for December 2023.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to a company's responsibility for the impacts its decisions and actions have on the environment, economy, and people, including employees, customers, suppliers, partners, communities and society as a whole. Businesses voluntarily commit to meeting international standards that exceed local laws.

The CSR Forum was established by #CSRDG, within the framework of the project 'Civil Society STAR Initiative', with the support of the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.