The Department represents a structural unit of the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia.
By performing its functions the department acts on behalf of the Public Defender of Georgia.

The main tasks of the department:

• Supporting the Public Defender in exercising the authority stipulated by the Law of Georgia ”On elimination of all forms of discrimination”;
• Conduction of monitoring of compliance with national and international acts in the human rights sphere in Georgia;
• Elimination of all forms of discrimination and ensuring equal rights of every natural and legal persons under the legislation of Georgia, irrespective of race, skin colour, language, sex, age, citizenship, origin, place of birth or residence, property or social status, religion or belief, national, ethnic or social origin, profession, marital status, health, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, political or other opinions, or other characteristics.
• Conduction of monitoring on elimination of all forms of discrimination.

Functions of the department:

• Examination of applications/complaints on violations of equality received by the Public Defender’s Office and development of relevant draft conclusions/recommendations/proposals;
• Preparation of draft constitutional claims on issues of its competence;
• Development of drafts of relevant sections of the Public Defender’s report of its competence;
• Conduction of monitoring of compliance with recommendations issued by the Public Defender on topics of its competence;
• Planning and conduction of educational activities in the human equality sphere;
• Analysis of the legislation and draft laws in the sphere of its competence and preparation of relevant draft recommendations/proposals ;
• Performing other functions that naturally stem from the specifics of work of the department.

In order to effectively implement the above powers, on August 22, 2014, on the basis of order No. 140, the Public Defender established the Department of Equality, the function of which is to assist the Public Defender in implementing the powers provided for by the Law of Georgia on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination.

The Department of Equality started functioning on 20 November 2014.