UNDP and Government of Sweden accelerate assistance to effective governance systems in Georgia

December 12, 2018

Photo: Vladimer Valishvili/UNDP

The Government of Sweden and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are expanding their assistance to Georgia in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. On 12 December 2018, H.E. Ulrik Tideström, Ambassador of Sweden to Georgia and Armenia, and Munkhtuya Altangerel, UNDP Acting Head in Georgia, signed a Cooperation Agreement for SEK 38.5 mln to support initiatives related to environmental governance and public sector reform.

Under this Cooperation Agreement, between 2019 and 2021, UNDP and the Government of Sweden will work with different public agencies and civil society organizations in Georgia to boost reforms in the public sector and promote sustainable environmental policies by contributing to poverty reduction, regional development and gender equality overall.  

The assistance will be provided through the Governance Reform Fund (GRF), a flexible and responsive mechanism launched to support Georgia in its ambitious public administration reform agenda.     

Most recently, the GRF has provided considerable support in strengthening Georgia’s public sector by addressing the critical capacity development needs of public institutions, which also helps to bring the country closer to the relevant European Union standards.

Between 2013 and 2017, this comprehensive assistance programme largely contributed to the reforms in civil service and effectively responded to the appeals for strengthening environmental protection and improving natural resource management.

In the last five years, UNDP and the Government of Sweden have supported up to 40 initiatives for over 20 public institutions in reinforcing strategic policy creation, improving capacity development mechanisms, and enhancing the efficiency of quality public service delivery. Furthermore, over 5,000 stakeholders (53% female, 47% male) across the government, civil society organisations and private sector have increased their skill sets through capacity-building and awareness-raising activities.

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