
The war in Ukraine had just begun when I wrote (on the ISET Policy Institute's website and in the Georgian Times) that the present events in Ukraine offer the world a chance to become better. I could not have predicted at the time that hostilities would unfold in such a disastrous fashion or scale, nor could I have anticipated that, following four weeks of the war, we would witness an even larger and, I would say unimaginable human and global catastrophe.

During such challenging times, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates daily and threatens the lives of thousands, as well as the wellbeing of everyone around the world, having experienced the horror of war, we Georgians especially feel the pain of the Ukrainians.

Over the last half-century, air pollution has become an increasingly critical problem globally. The number of harmful emissions connected to human activity has been rising constantly, and, in many locations around the world, the concentrations of individual pollutants are higher than the recommended safe levels. Elevated emission levels are associated with various harmful effects, such as damage to human health and well-being, decreases in productivity, a reduction in land prices, and equally significantly global environmental issues like climate change.

Adopted in 2000 by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Maternity Protection Convention (C183) set the minimum standards that need to be implemented worldwide in order for pregnant women and working mothers to be adequately protected in the labour market. Since its adoption, 39 countries have ratified the Convention. Georgia, an ILO member since 1993, has not yet done so.

On 19 May 2021, ISET Policy Institute in collaboration with World Bank (WB) conducted a technical workshop for a joint policy note on agriculture, land, and water in Georgia.