Georgia at UNGA 71
Georgia continues to rise as a regional leader on the strength of its democratic progress, economic growth, and European integration — Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili affirmed in his address to the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly. “Today, we are poised to thrive in a new millennium… We are building an innovation-driven community where all generations can see an ever-brighter future,” noted the Head of the Government.
In his address to the UNGA, Prime Minister outlined his government’s four-point plan, reiterated to secure holding of free and fair elections early next month, and condemned “Moscow’s annexation policy” of Georgia’s breakaway regions.
Prime Minister Kvirikashvili stressed that Georgia’s success can be attributed to the prioritization of good and transparent governance: “Effective governance with transparent and accountable institutions is the key for building peaceful and inclusive societies and for sustainable development.”
Recent reforms have ensured openness and integration into the global market and equal opportunities for all companies and individuals interested in doing business in Georgia. The Prime Minister highlighted that Georgia’s domestic achievements have translated directly into the economy and job market. Despite economic downturns in Georgia’s surrounding region, Georgia’s economy continues to grow and foreign direct investment remains high. The World Bank recently reported a 10% drop in Georgia’s poverty rate from 2012–2014. In 2015, Georgia’s unemployment rate declined and today is at its lowest rate in twelve years, allowing salaries and wages to rise as well.
Building on this progress, the Georgian government is investing heavily in sectors such as education and health care, including a flagship programme for universal health care that brought unprecedented coverage to hundreds of thousands of Georgians.
The Prime Minister also announced that $5 billion would be invested in connectivity and infrastructure efforts over the next four years. Projects to enhance Georgia’s ports, roads, and transport networks will connect areas of the country internally while also supporting Georgia’s role as a key link in the ambitious Silk Road development plan.
Prime Minister Kvirikashvili underlined that in the face of complex challenges, Georgia remains committed to European and Euro-Atlantic integration. He noted that the U.S. Government, the European Union, and NATO all recently took actions to emphasize that Georgia’s future lies within the European and Euro-Atlantic community. “At its core, Georgia’s foreign policy is aimed at building strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with the countries of our region and beyond,” noted Prime Minister. “This path, chosen by our people, leads to more stability, security, peace, and prosperity in our country and the region.”
in addition to the Prime Minister’s address to the UN General Assembly, the Georgian delegation hosted a meeting on e-governance, transparency, and public services within the framework of the Open Government Partnership 5-Year Anniversary. The event showcased Georgia’s approach to building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions and was supported by Estonia, South Korea, Belgium, and the United Nations Development Program.
Moreover, Solidarity Fund of Georgia – conceptualized as the largest national platform of public-private partnership of innovative funding – became a key topic of discussion at a high-ranking event held jointly by Georgia and France in parallel with the General Assembly. Over 20 per cent of Georgian civil servants and 27 private companies have been united around different initiatives of the Solidarity Fund and as a result, financed the vital medical treatment of a number of children and youth suffering of cancer in Georgia. Georgia has joined a group of nations with innovative funding operating under the aegis of the Foreign Ministry of France and became actively engaged in the global dialogue on innovative funding.
“We believe that an increased focus on the innovative funding may play a decisive role in achieving the specific goals of fundraising and sustainable development. Success of the innovative funding causes no doubts as evidenced by such initiatives as UNITAID, Product (Red) and GAVI, which have contributed to the attainment of such millennium development goals as fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, along with a respective coverage of immunization and vaccination. We sincerely hope that international community will deploy new and successful platforms and sources of innovative funding to achieve more ambitious goals of sustainable development over the next 14 years,” stated the Prime Minister of Georgia.
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili’s address to the UN General Assembly — Full Transcript & Video