On October 27-29, 2016, the Council of National Minorities of the Public Defender held a working meeting, where it discussed the situation of civil integration and protection of the rights of national minorities in the country, the successes achieved in the mentioned field and the major challenges.

The Council’s plan for the nearest period in terms of protection of the rights of national minorities and promotion of civil integration was devised at the meeting. Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili, members of the Council of National Minorities and representatives of the Public Defender’s Office discussed the issues related to the improvement of the Council’s structural work.

The event was organized by the Public Defender, the Tolerance Center, the Council of National Minorities and the “Promoting Integration, Tolerance and Awareness” (PITA) program of the UN Association of Georgia (UNAG) that is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Council of National Minorities of the Public Defender was established in 2005. It brings together more than 100 organizations representing all ethnic groups living in Georgia. In terms of civil integration and protection of national minorities, the Council represents the main advisory body for the Public Defender and state agencies. The Council activities are coordinated by the Tolerance Center of the Public Defender.