On December 11, UNFPA Georgia Country Office initiated an Extended Theme Group Meeting on youth development.

UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia Sabine Machl, Chairperson of the Education and Science Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Member of the Committee on Sport and Youth Affairs responsible for youth policy, Givi Mikanadze, and Acting Head of the Youth Agency of Georgia, Vakhtang Baakashvili have welcomed the members of the UN Extended Theme Group on Youth Development. 

UNFPA Programme Analyst and the Chairperson of the UN TG on Youth, Natalia Zakareishvili moderated the meeting. The UN Theme Group on Youth Development is currently chaired by UNFPA with participation of UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR and FAO. 

In her address, Sabine Machl underscored the pivotal role that young people play as agents of change. Therefore, the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development explicitly acknowledges the importance of youth, emphasizing their rights, well-being, and empowerment as essential components of sustainable progress. She further noted that investment in young people serves to deliver on their rights, and to resolve the immediate challenges for their active political, social, and economic participation, necessary for peaceful, democratic, and sustainable development. 

Stressing the importance of international support in promoting youth development issues in Georgia, MP Givi Mikanadze welcomed the strong and lasting commitment of donor community, and the tangible results achieved through the joint efforts. 

Vakhtang Baakashvili, who reviewed the National Youth Strategy 2023-2026 and its 2023 National Action Plan, mentioned  that youth sphere is fragile and needs special support from the state as well as from the  international community, and that within the current strategic vision in the country it is possible to develop youth-related issues. In his address, he also thanked UNFPA for establishing and supporting this Donor Coordination Platform for over three hears now.

In the frames of the meeting, Deputy Chairperson of the Education and Science Committee and Advisor in Youth Issues, Anatoly Korepanov presented “Improving state support system for youth organizations: legislative proposals”, based on the research and analysis of the current state system, as well as the practice of the EU members and other partner states. Support was provided to the Parliament of Georgia, Sports and Youth Issues Committee by UNFPA, UNDP, UNHCR and World Vision.