Yerevan/Mediamax/. The world’s first National SDG Innovation Lab opened today in Yerevan, with Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan being among attendees of the ceremony.

The lab is a joint project of the Armenian Government and UN and will operate in the framework of the Center for Strategic Initiatives.

“The lab will mainly focus on applying global innovative technologies and experience to develop solutions for complex issues. This is the first lab of the kind, the first time a country creates an innovative agency in collaboration with UN at the national level in order to support implementation of SDGs in the country. I know that our UN partners shared this experience with their partners in New York and now plan to suggest it to other countries as a successful example of cooperation between the state and the UN during realization of the sustainable development goals,” said Karen Karapetyan.

The Prime Minister stressed that a comprehensive working group is already operating in Armenia to prepare and implement SDGs in the country.

“We will introduce the process of implementation of SDGs in Armenia next July at the UN. I hope our experience and efforts will serve as a good example of cooperation between the state and the UN,” said Karen Karapetyan. The Prime Minister expressed his confidence that the innovation lab will add new quality to solutions for Armenia’s current issues.

The lab will serve as a platform for experimentation, collaboration, analysis, and for involvement of top experts. The purpose of the lab is to unlock Armenia’s potential and accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The National SDG Innovation Lab already cooperates with Stanford Change Labs, UN Global Pulse, The Behavioral Insights Team, and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).