On March 27-29, 2017, training was held within the framework of the Human Rights Academy of the Public Defender and the project “Support to the Public Defender’s Office in Studying the Situation of Refugees, Persons with Humanitarian Status and Asylum Seekers”. The theme of the training was: Issues of International Protection of Refugees. The mechanisms and principles of the international refugee law, as well as the national legislation and practice in relation to the international standards, were discussed during the training, which was attended by 16 graduate and undergraduate students of the departments of law and international law of Georgian higher education institutions. The training was led by representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Zuzana Kovalova and Salome Qusikashvili, as well as a representative of the Public Defender's Office, Tamta Papuashvi.

Detailed information about the international refugee law and protection mechanisms, as well as the review of the national legislation and practice in relation to international standards, will help students to acquire in-depth knowledge about the issues, which may become the subject of their academic and professional interests in the future. The training will also help raise awareness about refugees in the country, which is crucial for the prevention of marginalization of this vulnerable group and for the promotion of their integration.

The training was carried out by the financial support of the UNHCR Regional Representative in the South Caucasus and the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia.

The students were presented with bags and textbooks about international refugee protection by the Public Defender's Office and UNHCR. In addition, UNHCR announced an internship competition for the participants of the training. Successful students will be able to get professional experience in the South Caucasus office of UNCHR.