On May 29-30, 2017, training was held within the framework of the project “Support to the Public Defender’s Office in Studying the Situation of Refugees, Persons with Humanitarian Status and Asylum Seekers” for the employees of the Public Defender’s Department of Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Department of Criminal Justice, Department of Case Proceedings, Reception of Interested Persons and Archives, who have to deal with the cases of asylum seekers and refugees.

The objectives and activities of the project supporting the protection of refugees’ rights were discussed at the training.

The UNHCR Representative in South Caucasus briefed the training participants of the organization's mandate and the main provisions of the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951), such as the definition of the concept of refugee, refugee recognition criteria, persecution standards - subjective fear vs. objective fear, grounds for persecution and its exclusion, as well as universal principles: exemption from criminal liability (Article 31 of the Convention 1951 and the Georgian legislation), confidentiality, the principle of non-expulsion, etc.

A representative of the Ministry of IDPs, Accommodation and Refugees spoke about the innovations and trends that contributed to the development of the asylum system and introduced the Law of Georgia on International Protection, which took effect in February 2017. He also talked about the bilateral order signed by the Ministry of IDPs, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, which regulates identification and transfer of asylum seekers on the state border and exchange of information between the two bodies.

Theoretical issues were reviewed and practical exercises were done at the training.

The event was held with the financial support of the UNHCR Regional Representative in the South Caucasus.