Draft:Kaha Imnadze

Kaha Imnadze (Georgian: კახა იმნაძე) is a Georgian career diplomat, currently serving as the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Central Asia at the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA). Previously, Kaha Imnadze was Ambassador of Georgia to Canada, from August 2022 to June 2023, and Permanent representative of Georgia to the United Nations from July 2013 to August 2022.

Professional career
Kaha Imnadze joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia as an intern in 1989, and has held a number of positions from the 3rd Secretary to the Deputy Head of Department at the Political Directorate.

From 1992 to 1993, Imnadze became the Deputy Head of the South East Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, progressing later in 1993 to 1994 to the Head of the Western European Department..

From 1994 to 1998, Imnadze was appointed as the Deputy Chief of the Mission of Georgia to NATO, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. At the same time he was the Political Counselor at the Georgian Embassy to the Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. From 1998-2000, Kaha Imnadze was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia, supervising defence and foreign policy issues, and the work of the Executive Secretariat of the Council.

From 2000-2003, Imnadze served as Assistant to the President and Spokesman/Press Secretary for the President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze.

Following his appointment with President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze, Kaha Imnadze spent 10 years in the private sector as a political risk assessment and investment consultant, as well as a consultant in international, regional, and national security issues. Imnadze joined the Board of the Georgian Political Science Association as a Member from 2012, and was Programme Director of the Georgian Institute for Russian Studies from 2009-2012.

In 2013, Kaha Imnadze was appointed as Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations. Over his 9 year term, Imnadze was active in a number of different areas of the United Nations. He was a co-chair of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on the Security Council Reform, a co-facilitator of the Political Declaration on the Universal Health Coverage. He also co-facilitated the ECOSOC and High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) review processes, as well as the modalities for the Trafficking in Persons, chaired a Committee, served on board of UN bodies, was among those who worked and adopted the Agenda 2030 and launched the SDG16+ showcase first in Georgia.

In 2018, to mark the 850th anniversary of Georgia’s 12th century thinker and poet, Shota Rustaveli, and his landmark “Knight in the Panther's Skin,” the United Nations issued a limited edition commemorative stamp on May 26th, Georgia’s Independence Day, also as a tribute to the centennial of Georgia’s First Democratic Republic.

The issuing of this stamp was the first time the United Nations honoured a historical person that lived before the creation of the organisation. In 2021, for the first time, Georgia presented the United Nations with a National Gift, a limited edition manuscript of Rustaveli’s “Knight in the Panther’s Skin. An achievement of Kaha Imnadze, through his effort in facilitating the processes.

Diplomatic rank
Kaha Imnadze holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Personal life
Born in Tbilisi, Georgia on 4 February 1969, Kaha Imnadze is a graduate of Tbilisi State University with a Master of Arts in English Language and Literature. Speaking Georgian, English, French and Russian. He is married and has a daughter.