UN in Georgia Appoints National Goodwill Ambassadors for SDGs

At appointment ceremony, the UN Resident Coordinator Niels Scott said the new UN National Goodwill Ambassadors give a much-needed voice to the Sustainable Development Goals in Georgia. “ I am grateful and excited to welcome Ms. Nino Sukhishvili, Mr. Gela Charkviani, and Ms. Irma Khetsuriani  as UN's Goodwill Ambassadors, confident that they will raise awareness and mobilize support for the Sustainable Development Goals”, he said.

“I am honored to join the United Nations as a Goodwill Ambassador,” Gela Chrkviani said. “I am looking forward to working with UN to raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals and I hope to inspire others to join us. Together we can ensure that people live in freedom and security; and society becomes more cohesive and more equal”.

“I will be a strong advocate for make lasting progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” said Nino Sukhishvili. “The SDGs matter to all of us as we have a shared responsibility for present and future generations.”

Irma Khetsuriani said she was very happy to be officially appointed UN goodwill ambassador. “It's really a privilege for me to be UN Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals. I would like to try to make a difference in the lives of those who most need it,” she said.

Nino Sukhishvili is an art manager and executive producer for the Georgian National Ballet,  the world-known state dance company founded in 1945 by her grandparents Nino Ramishvili and Iliko Sukhishvili. Thanks to this company the Georgian national dancing and music has become known in many parts of the world.

An accomplished Georgian diplomat, writer, educator and television personality, Gela Charkviani is immensely popular in Georgia. He is the author of numerous publications, including the National Bestseller of the Year -  The Round Dance of the Familiar Chimeras (2015). Charkviani's awards include Order of Honour (1998), Presidential Order of Excellence (2011) and Victory Order of St.George (2013).

Georgian wheelchair fencer Irma Khetsuriani, has earned the admiration and respect of people for her achievements in wheelchair fencing and in advocating for the athletes with a range of disabilities in Georgia. She is the champion of the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup.