The second meeting of the inter-municipal social platform focused on the delegation of personal assistant services within municipalities. Around 30 representatives from the municipalities of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Guria regions participated, alongside heads of relevant departments from the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Health, Labour and Social Affairs of Georgia, and the Ministries of Regional Development and Infrastructure.
The session, held in Zugdidi Municipality, was organized by the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia.
Lasha Archvadze, Deputy Executive Director of NALAG, noted that the goal of the inter-municipal social platform is to support member municipalities in the complete and thorough execution of their own and delegated powers. He explained that before introducing the personal assistant service standard in self-governing units, it is necessary to share recommendations from relevant agencies and experts and to explore solutions to existing challenges, which this platform fully addresses.
Nino Zurabishvili, an expert from NALAG and a member of the independent expert group of the Council of Europe, facilitated the session. Nikoloz Rosebashvili, head of the Department for Relations with Regions and Local Self-Government Agencies at the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, delivered a welcome speech. Tamar Kurtanidze, head of the Department of Social Protection, IDPs, and Labor Policy at the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Health, Labour and Social Affairs of Georgia, and UNICEF representative Nino Davitashvili also addressed the audience, adding their valuable perspectives.
At the first session, NALAG’s expert, Nino Zurabishvili, reviewed the legal basis for delegating personal assistant services. Tamar Kurtanidze introduced this service to the attendees and discussed current practices.
In the second part of the meeting, representatives of municipalities actively participated in the discussion. While addressing the challenges of delegating personal assistant services, participants presented their proposals and, together with the experts, planned the agenda for the upcoming session.
It should be noted that, like the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Guria regions, the inter-municipal social platform also functions in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region.
As mentioned at the meeting, NALAG plans to establish similar platforms in other regions of Georgia.