Statement of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Maka Botchorishvili, at the Paris Peace Forum

It is a pleasure and honor to represent Georgia at the Paris Peace Forum.

I indeed represent a country that, amid a complex geopolitical environment, continues to face security challenges and risks, and has experienced first-hand the devastating consequences of war and conflict over the past three decades.

At the heart of today’s discussion are children - innocent victims of conflicts they did not choose. Their rights must be protected, their dignity definitely must be upheld, and their future safeguarded. This requires ensuring not only their physical safety but also their psycho-social well-being so that they can recover and develop despite the impact of conflicts.

This is not a responsibility that can be left to individual countries. It is a shared responsibility of us all.

Georgia knows from its own experience that the consequences of conflict do not end when the fighting stops. They extend far beyond immediate destruction and loss of life, affecting generations and shaping the lives of people long afterwards.And this is not simply a chapter of our history. 

The Russian occupation of two Georgian regions continues to affect the lives of children to this day, with serious restrictions on their fundamental rights remaining part of their everyday reality. Restrictions on children’s right to education in their native language, coupled with the forced imposition of a Russian-language education system, undermine not only their access to education but also their identity, culture and connection to their own country.

This is why protecting children in conflict situations must be seen not only as a humanitarian imperative, but as a fundamental matter of human rights, security and lasting peace.

Over the past decade, preventing conflict and preserving peace have been central to Georgia’s national priorities. This has enabled our country to focus on development, improve the well-being of our people and create better prospects for future generations.Our experience has only reinforced one fundamental conviction: peace is much more than the absence of fights. 

It creates the conditions in which societies can move forward - invest in education, healthcare and social services, advance technological innovation, and, above all, give children and young people the opportunity to grow, thrive and realize their full potential.

Our ambition is to make opportunities accessible to every child and every young person, regardless of where they live or the circumstances they face. Yet, this remains an aspiration for the children and young people living in occupied regions. This reminds us of a fundamental truth: the cost of unresolved conflicts cannot be measured solely in territorial divisions or political disagreements. It must also be measured in lives affected, opportunities lost and the future denied to an entire generation.

For Georgia, peace is a choice, shaped both by our own historical experience and by the conflicts and security challenges that continue to affect our region. But preserving peace requires commitment, determination and shared responsibility.

The responsibility we share today is to ensure that peace is not merely an aspiration, but a reality that future generations can experience - a reality in which every child, everywhere, can grow up in safety, enjoy their rights and have the opportunity to build a better future.