Training - “International Refugee Law and International Protection” was launched within the framework of the project - “Support to the Public Defender's Office in Studying the Situation of Asylum Seekers and Internationally Protected Persons”and the Human Rights Academy of the Public Defender of Georgia on 25 April 2018. The training is attended by 16 students of the departments of law and international law from various higher educational institutions of Georgia and will last three days.

Tamar Gvaramadze, First Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, and Yoko Akasaka, Deputy Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the South Caucasus, delivered speeches at the opening of the training. They spoke about the relevance of the theme of the training on the background of the ongoing wars and conflicts, as well as the problems caused by the increased number of asylum seekers around the world, and emphasized the importance of the efforts of the Public Defender's Office in the field of protecting the rights of asylum seekers and internationally protected persons and monitoring the rights situation of the mentioned persons.

The mechanisms and principles of international refugee law, as well as the national legislative base and practices in relation to international standards, will be discussed during the training. Students will get detailed information about the mandate of the Public Defender and the activities carried out by the Office in the field of protection of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees.

The training course will cover the following issues: human rights and refugee laws, definition of a “refugee” according to the Convention and eligibility criteria for receiving status, persecution standards, universal principles and concepts of refugee protection, asylum system and legislation of Georgia, international and national case laws relating to refugee issues.

Information provided by international and local trainers will help students get in-depth knowledge of important issues that may become their academic and professional interest in the future. The training will also raise awareness of refugee issues in the country, which is very important for the prevention of marginalization and integration of the mentioned vulnerable group.

The event is supported by the Public Defender's Office of Georgia and the UNHCR Representation in the South Caucasus.