28 Jun Analysis of Gaps between National Legislation of Georgia and World Bank Environmental and Social Framework
This study assesses Georgia’s national
legislation through the lens of the Word Bank’s
Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The ESF went into
effect in 2018, marking a significant step forward in
environmental and social risk management in World Bank
financed projects. The ESF is closely aligned with the
environmental and social policies of other international
financial institutions (IFIs), such as European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Asian Development
Bank (ADB), Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau(KfW), Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and has been
globally recognized as a benchmark for good international
practice on environmental and social sustainability. The
report provides an assessment of key legal and
implementation gaps between Georgia’s national system and
the ESF. It highlights the areas where government and the
World Bank teams should place greater attention, either due
to wider gaps between national law and the ESF, or due to
the nature of gaps that may cause substantial risks during
the implementation of development projects. The study
incorporates a broad assessment of Georgian legislation and
selected ESF standards as well as an overview of
implementation and enforcement challenges. The study is not
an endorsement by the World Bank management of the use of
the government’s framework, but is intended to guide future
project preparation, implementation, and capacity-building
efforts at the legislative, policy, and institutional level
in Georgia.