On March 21-22, 2016, the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) Committee on Migration, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons was held in the Parliament of Georgia. The theme of the first day was "Challenges of Migration in the South Caucasus and in the region." The session was attended by representatives of the PACE member states, as well as representatives of the executive and legislative bodies of Georgia.

The Deputy Public Defender addressed the participants and reviewed the Public Defender's activities carried out in the field of study of the situation of IDPs, refugees, asylum seekers and persons with humanitarian status. She noted that the Public Defender reviews the results of the study and monitoring in his annual parliamentary and special reports in order to provide relevant recommendations for the Government.

Natia Katsitadze emphasized the positive trends that have been observed in the state policy in terms of solution of problems of IDPs and refugees; however, she noted that some shortcomings and challenges still remain in the area and that the Public Defender's Office continues to study the issues.

Later, speeches were delivered by Sozar Subari, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons, Refugees and Accommodation of Georgia, Paata Zakareishvili, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, acting UNHCR representative in the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) Hy Shelow and Executive Director of the London Information Network on Conflict and State-Building (LINKS) Dennis Sammut.

After the meeting, the delegation members visited the IDPs’ settlement in Tserovani.

The second day of the session will be devoted to the Committee’s Special Rapporteurs, who will speak about the issues of refugees and migration, including the migrants’ rights situation in the Western Balkans, as well as the Syrian refugee crisis.