On June 8, 2023, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia Natia Julakidze participated in the 12^th session of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) held in Brussels, in the European Parliament.

Within the framework of the committee session, the agenda of cooperation between Georgia and the European Union and the implementation of the 12 recommendations defined by the European Commission were discussed.

Speaking at the session, the Deputy Public Defender discussed recent developments in Georgia from the point of view of the protection of human rights, including the detention of human rights defenders; In the context of the implementation of the 12-point plan, she spoke about the process of election of the Public Defender, the mandate of the Office and the participation in the judicial reform working group. She also spoke about the necessity of cooperation between the Government and the non-governmental sector and the willingness of the Public Defender to act as a mediator between them. Regarding the shortcomings in the human rights strategy, the Deputy Public Defender expressed hope that all the shortcomings would be reflected in the action plan. The Deputy Public Defender emphasized the existing polarization in the country and the constant use of hate speech. In this situation, "it is of great importance to maintain the strong institution of the Public Defender. We really have this ambition and we are doing our best for it," said Natia Julakidze.

The permanent delegations of the Parliament of Georgia and the European Parliament and representatives of the executive structures of Georgia also took part in the session.

The EU-Georgia Association Parliamentary Committee is a parliamentary institution established on the basis of the Association Agreement with the European Union. Its main goal is to supervise the implementation of the Association Agreement and promote Georgia's integration with Europe.