On November 24-26, 2015, Meri Kochlamazashvili, representative of the Public Defender’s Office, held informational meetings with non-governmental organizations and internally displaced persons in the cities of Zugdidi, Kutaisi and Batumi.

The aim of the meetings with non-governmental organizations was to discuss how to solve the problems of internally displaced persons living in the regions. The Public Defender's representative briefed the non-governmental organizations of the state of IDPs’ rights in Georgia and the activities of the Public Defender's Office in this area. Participants of the meeting had the opportunity to ask questions.

The main topic of the meetings with internally displaced persons was the state policy on IDPs. Regional problems, as well as their causes and consequences, were also reviewed.

It was revealed that the main problem of the internally displaced people living in the regions is the lack of information. In particular, they do not have access to news and events that directly affect their daily lives. The slow pace of transfer of IDPs’ living units to their ownership and unbearable conditions in the IDPs’ facilities remain to be problems.

The meetings were held within the framework of the project "Support to the Public Defender's Office in Addressing the Situation of IDPs" funded by the Embassy of Great Britain to Georgia and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.