Training in UNHCR Akhmeta Representation

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is maximally trying to raise the professional level of its offices' employees. For this purpose in different regions where there are UNHCR offices, the trainings and seminars are often being held. Their objective basically is to deepen the knowledge of office employees in the sphere of international protection of refugees. Staff members of the offices have quite a big experience due to the work process and relationship with refugees and internally displaced persons, but the need for having theoretical knowledge is also sheer.

One of the examples of such measures is the training held in UNHCR Akhmeta Office on November 15-16. A group of trainers headed by the legal officer was sent from Tbilisi Office. All of the local employees of the Office have participated in the training.

The goal of the training was to increase the level of knowledge of UNHCR Akhmeta Office employees in the important aspects of general international protection of refugees. At first there was a general introduction to the human rights sphere and to the history of development of these rights. There was a brief mention made about the International Bill of Human Rights. Then the attention was drawn to the definition and explanation of the term refugee itself; all the requirements necessary for receiving the refugee status were minutely discussed.

After this all the conditions that are the reasons of not receiving a refugee status were listed and analyzed. Along with the discussion of theory, some practical cases from various countries were drawn. A lot of time was devoted to the discussion of 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol. All the important aspects of international protection according to the Convention were analyzed from the legal point of view. Also some basic aspects of Georgian 1998 "Law on Refugees" were discussed. The attention was drawn also to the definition and meaning of various principal terms existing in international refugee law and to the issues like non-refoulement principle, family unity principle and others.

During the training a general discussion was held about international protection of refugees. Besides this, UNHCR Akhmeta Office staff members expressed their opinions about Chechen refugees settled in Pankisi Valley.