United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG) is a local non-profit organization that works to reinforce Georgia’s development as a just, peaceful and inclusive democracy by facilitating policy-making capacities and potential of the civil society, by empowering vulnerable and under-represented communities and by encouraging and supporting the government’s efforts in managing positive change.
UNA Georgia was established in 1995, as Georgia was just starting to lay the foundations of recovery from the disastrous consequences of civil war. With most government institutions critically lacking political will, resources and capabilities, non-governmental organizations largely led the way in Georgia’s democratic agenda. UNAG remains an integral part of this continued process, as a facilitator of cross-sectoral partnerships and a hub for joint planning and action that empowers both the institutions and people of Georgia to generate durable impact.
UNA Georgia is among Georgia’s leading practitioners, promoters and facilitators of the rights-based public policy making and impact management across all of its core activity areas:
- Rights pillar includes the programs and activities that help the most vulnerable groups in Georgia – ethnic and religious minorities, women, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and others that cannot access their rights and development opportunities on their own;
- Democracy pillar focuses on civil society organizations and networks, government policies and capacities, on civic participation and cross-sector collaboration between the people and institutions;
- Information pillar covers journalistic work and media platforms, research and analysis, discrimination and hate speech monitoring, countering Russian propaganda, and other initiatives.
UNA Georgia is a member of the World Federation of the United Nations Associations since 1996. UNAG is audited annually by an independent auditor and its financial statements and audit reports are made publicly available.
- Activities at a Glance -
- Human Rights, Policies and Capacities Advanced
UNA Georgia supports and funds the work of relevant offices and departments of the government and the Public Defender, ethnic minority and religious minority councils, civil society organizations and coalitions, watchdogs, experts and media professionals to ensure that ethnic and religious minority rights remain in focus and are further advanced via collective efforts. National policies and action plans are implemented, monitored, and evaluated independently.
- 14 Youth Centers Countrywide and 5,000 Youth Engaged in Making Difference Locally
UNA Georgia operates 14 youth centers across the country, where it has created a safe space for about 5,000 young people, boys and girls of 16-25 age, to express themselves, to learn from adults and from each other, to make friends and form communities, to break stereotypes, to be civically active and to turn problems into solutions. More than 1000 local activities were planned and implemented by young activists during the year.
- 300,000 reached via Civil.ge every year – one of Georgia’s most trusted media sources
UNA Georgia’s Civil.ge retains its position as the key source of unbiased, balanced reporting on national news and continues to further enhance its standing nationally as the platform for civic discussion and debate. Civil.ge positions itself against discrimination and hate speech, for inclusion of the voices of the diverse communities in Georgia.
- Disinformation, Hate Speech, Discrimination Monitored and Reported
UNA Georgia provides funding for media research organizations, advocacy groups and activists for monitoring and reporting of hate speech and discriminatory language in Georgian media and politics, as well as countering the Russia-funded propaganda against Georgia’s anti-European aspirations. Research reports and findings are made publicly available and individual follow-ups are organized with relevant media organizations or politicians, which, in many successful cases, have retracted and publicly apologized for their discriminatory or misleading statements.
- Cross-border cooperation in the South Caucasus
UNA Georgia and UNA Sweden continue to implement a joint initiative – Fostering Inclusive Democracy, which continues to bring the young civic activists from the South Caucasus together to learn and collaborate on women’s rights, equality, discrimination, advocacy and civic activism across the national borders, including via the seed grants that UNA Georgia provides for local advocacy activities in all three countries.
- Countrywide Network of Strong Civil Society Organizations
UNA Georgia facilitates a network of civil society organizations in the regions of Georgia, which are directly involved in the implementation of UNA Georgia’s ongoing programs and initiatives in the regions, including the youth centers, and undergo consistent capacity building, coaching, and mentoring by UNA Georgia.