BackTamar Gvaramadze, First Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, participated in the webinar - “Protecting forcibly displaced persons in the COVID-19 context: The role and experience of NHRIs and opportunities for collaboration with UNHCR, which was organized by the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, CeciliaJimenez-Damary.
The webinar's main goal was to discuss the role and experience of NHRIs in protecting and promoting the rights of IDPs in the COVID-19 context.
The First Deputy Public Defender spoke about the activities and priorities of the Public Defender's Office, noting that the Office had been examining the human rights situation in the country since the start of the pandemic and had been assisting citizens for 24 hours a day. She also stressed the difficult social and economic situation of IDPs, especially the lack of proper living conditions, which worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to receiving individual complaints from IDPs, the Public Defender's Office also proactively collects data, through a special questionnaire, identifies problems and submits recommendations to the relevant agencies in order to solve the problems.
Tamar Gvaramadze noted that representatives of the Public Defender's Office were actively working with all beneficiaries and providing information on various services and assistance programmes initiated by the Government of Georgia.
The conversation also touched upon the population living in the occupied territories and the lack of information about their situation, which is a matter of great concern.
About 150 people took part in the webinar, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Refugees, CeciliaJimenez-Damary, UNHCR high rank officials, representatives of National Human Rights Institutions, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and other partner organizations from various regions.
Source: Public Defender of Georgia
