Ambassadors of the Sustainable Development Goals

On 25 September 2015, 193 member countries of the United Nations agreed on the resolution “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” This document identifies 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets to be implemented.

The initiative aims to increase the quality of life in all countries by eradicating poverty and hunger, protecting the climate and natural resources, promoting inclusive economic growth, and establishing a peaceful and just society.

According to the resolution, each participating country must implement reforms to achieve the 17 SDGs by 2030.

The same year, Georgia expressed its desire to implement the 17 sustainable development goals and targets. This was declared a national priority in 2017.

The UN Global Compact Georgia Network cooperates closely with the UN Global Compact Office (GCO) to promote the UN Global Compact and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

By closely cooperating with business, civil society, international institutions, central government and local self-government bodies, the organization, at the country level, helps establish the initiative in different national, cultural and linguistic contexts.

The UN Global Compact Network Georgia, with the support of the Swedish government and in cooperation with the Formula network, prepared a television project, “SDG Ambassadors”. The goal of this project is to increase awareness and promote the achievement of sustainable development goals.

“In 2015, the United Nations member states adopted the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The mentioned agenda is based on five main priority directions: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. To fulfill the mentioned goals, the role of different sectors is important, and our rubric is based on this principle. Within the framework of our television project, the representatives of different sectors, i.e., ambassadors of sustainable development goals, talk about how they contribute to the fulfillment of each goal with their activities”, says Salome Zurabishvili, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Georgia.

– says Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Georgia.

Salome Zurabishvili

Ambassadors for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals were selected for the TV project. The SDG ambassadors, representing different fields and professions, support implementing the UN Sustainable Development Agenda in Georgia and abroad.

Within the rubric framework, SDG ambassadors shared their vision and experience with the community regarding fulfilling each goal.

Within the framework of the project, the following SDG ambassadors were identified:

SDG 1: No Poverty – Regional Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the Caucasus, Catarina Bjorlin Hansen.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger – Chairwoman of Georgian Farmers’ Association, Nino Zambakhidze

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being – Assistant Coach of the Georgian National Basketball Team, Anatoli Boisa

SDG 4: Quality Education – Georgian writer, Dato Turashvili

SDG 5: Gender Equality – Captain of the National Rugby Team of Georgia, Merab Sharikadze

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Georgia, Hadas Meitzad

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Chairman of the Board of Georgian Renewable Energy Development Association (GREDA), Giorgi Abramishvili

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Former President of the National Bank of Georgia, Koba Gvenetadze

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Co-founder of Pulsar AI and Vice-President of Impel, Sopo Chkoidze

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Former Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, Eka Skhiladze

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Georgia, Akira Imamura

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Co-founder of digital marketplace Phubber, Anano Dolaberidze

SDG 13: Climate Action – Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to Georgia, Ulrik Tideström

SDG 14: Life Below Water – Director of Tbilisi Zoo, Zurab Gurielidze

SDG 15: Life on Land – Biologist and founder of SEED Georgia, Levan Butkhuzi

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – Head Council of Europe Office to Georgia, Natalia Vutova

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – USAID Senior Advisor for Private Sector Engagement, Beverly Hoover

The duration of each interview is approximately 16 minutes. During the interview, the rubric host, Salome Zurabishvili, asks the respondents about the thematic issues of each sustainable development goal. The first episode aired in September 2022, and the last in January 2023.