UNICEF Georgia

The UNICEF office in Georgia was opened in Tbilisi at the end of 1993 in order to provide humanitarian assistance in response to the conflicts and social crises in the country. As the political, economic and financial situation stabilised, UNICEF shifted its emphasis from emergency to rehabilitation and development. UNICEF works through five-year cooperation programmes being developed in partnership with the Government of Georgia. 2011 saw the start of a new five-year Government of Georgia/UNICEF country programme seeking to help the country achieve its commitments to children under the 2015 Millennium Development Goals. The country programme for 2011-2015, through its two major components – ‘Integrated and inclusive systems for children’ and ‘Social policy, child rights monitoring & communication’ – is designed to ensure that children, especially those living in the poorest families, are able to benefit from quality social services, enabling them to enjoy life in a family environment. The programme supports the Government in providing quality education to all school-aged children, and contributes to reducing child mortality by strengthening perinatal services in the country. Children in conflict with the law remains an important target for UNICEF, and the programme works to ensure that more children are diverted from the penitentiary system, with greater support from social workers and psychologists. UNICEF works with the Government and civil society partners in the implementation and monitoring of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.