On July 7, 2015, a conference Ageing Policy in Georgia took place at the Cinema Hall of the Parliament of Georgia, in Tbilisi.
The conference was designed to support integration of ageing-related issues into public policies and programmes, in order to advance the country’s sustainable development.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supported the development of the comprehensive Road Map for Mainstreaming Ageing in Georgia, which represents a solid ground and a significant step towards the development of the action plan on Ageing.
Opening remarks at the conference were delivered by Mr. Dimitri Khundadze, Chairperson of the Healthcare and Social Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia; Ms. Lela Bakradze, Assistant Representative, UNFPA Georgia Country Office; Ms. Vitalija Gaucaite Wittich, Chief of the Population Unit, Statistical Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Mr. David Smith, Chief of Party, USAID/Good Governance Initiative in Georgia (GGI); and Ms. Tamar Chiburdanidze, Chairperson of the Demographic Renaissance Foundation of Georgia.
Participants of the conference – Members of the Health and Social Issues Committee of the Parliament and other MPs, leadership and the representatives of relevant Ministries, academia, the United Nations Agencies and International and non-governmental organizations discussed the current situation regarding ageing in Georgia, identified needs and discussed on-going, as well as upcoming activties in Georgia.
The Framework of Actions for the follow up to the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD PoA) Beyond 2014 and its recommendations were also presented to the audience. At the end of the conference, the participants developed and adopted the Resolution, which provides recommendations on further steps for integrating ageing-related issues into all the government policies and programmes.
The conference was organized through the initiative of the Healthcare and Social Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Office in Georgia, USAID/Good Governance Initiative in Georgia, and the Demographic Renaissance Foundation of Georgia.
After the conference a photography exhibition Take Care of Time: “Ageing in Georgia seen through the eyes of its older citizens” opened in the Queen Tamar Hall of the Parliament of Georgia.
