With the organization of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) and the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a joint meeting of the Social Issues Platforms of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Guria was held in Zugdidi Municipality. The participants discussed issues related to strengthening social services in the regions.

The meeting was organized within the framework of the project titled “Empowering Local Government, Youth, and Civil Society in Child-Focused SDG Localization in Georgia” implemented by NALAG with the support of UNICEF and funded by the Global Fund for Sustainable Development Goals.

The event was conducted in the format of a facilitated discussion, attended by municipal leaders, heads and specialists of social services, and child welfare departments.

The meeting was opened by the project expert, Nino Zurabishvili (NALAG), and UNICEF’s Social Policy Officer, Nino Davitashvili. In their speeches, the organizers emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and highlighted the project’s goals and opportunities for future collaboration.

In the first part of the meeting, Nino Zurabishvili introduced participants to the importance and opportunities of joint program planning and delivery. The expert also elaborated on the role of such initiatives in better addressing local needs and improving the quality and effectiveness of social services.

During the session, participants reviewed initiatives already implemented by municipalities, which were developed to address specific needs in the social services sector.

To share experiences and best practices, a representative from Poti Municipality presented a program aimed at providing school supplies to students to enhance access to education for children with social needs. A representative from Senaki Municipality introduced a subprogram for preventive medical examinations for primary school students, designed to assess their health status and identify health issues at an early stage.

The participants also paid special attention to the presentation of a digital needs assessment tool and portal, which, according to the expert, facilitates data-driven decision-making in social policy.

At the conclusion of the meeting, a brief summary was held, outlining key recommendations and next steps for strengthening regional cooperation.

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