The coordination seminar: „Reinforcing dialogue on gender equality and informed local government reform in Georgia: Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities” organized by the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, with the support of PLATFORMA and the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS) is over.

The seminar was opened with welcoming speeches from Ms. Mzia Giorgobiani, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia; Mr. Lasha Daraselia, Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia; Mrs. Tamar Taliashvili, Member of Tbilisi City Council, Vice-President of NALAG, Vice-President of CoE Congress and Vice-President of CEMR and Mr. Boris Tonhauser, executive adviser at PLATFORMA. Ms. Natia Ghvinashvili, Deputy Executive Director of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, moderated the Seminar.

Distinguished speakers also paid attention to the fact that hosting such a high-level seminar in Georgia is a good demonstration that this county is on the path to the EU integration and successfully continues process of approximation to the EU standards of democracy.  

Mr. David Melua, Executive Director of NALAG addressed participants of this event thanking the representatives of PLATFORMA and NALAS for supporting this very important seminar. Mr. Melua took part in discussion on subject of  “Policy dialogue on next steps for informed Decentralization and Local Government Reform in Georgia”, he talked about open and inclusive consultative mechanisms between local governments, associations of local authorities and the EU institutions in process of implementation of the recently adopted strategy for decentralization. Mr. David Khosruashvili, President of the Association of Municipal Finance Officers of Georgia and foreign experts also participated in the panel discussion during the seminar.

The two-day workshop organized on 18-19 February had been concluded by summative speeches from Mr. David Melua, Executive Director of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) and Mr. Boris Tonhauser, executive adviser at PLATFORMA.

This coordination seminar was held in the framework of PLATFORMA’s activities in the EU Neighborhood East, with the aim to monitor and follow-up decentralization and administrative reforms by delivering open and inclusive policy dialogue with the national government and The European Union institutions. The key objective is to develop national advocacy priorities and plans for national associations of local and regional governments.

It is noteworthy to mention that this seminar provided an opportunity to discuss and prepare messages and recommendations to the European Union institutions, specifically to the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions and representations of the EU Member States.