Georgia / Internally displaced persons: follow-up visit by UN human rights expert

GENEVA (6 June 2013) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur Chaloka Beyani will visit Georgia from 10 to 14 June 2013 to examine the overall situation of internally displaced persons in the country, and gather first-hand information from displaced persons and affected communities.

“During my five-day visit, I will follow up on recommendations made by the previous Special Rapporteur in 2010,” said the independent expert designated by the UN Human Rights Council to examine and report on the human rights situation of internally displaced persons around the world.

“I will be interested in learning more about the process of intended changes in legislation on internally displaced persons in Georgia and to contribute to this process as relevant” Mr. Beyani added.

The Special Rapporteur will meet with Government representatives, members of civil society, UN officials and other parties. He will also visit various sites of displacement and meet with displaced persons, local authorities and affected communities.

Mr. Beyani will share with the Georgian media his preliminary observations at a press conference in Tbilisi on 14 June 2013 at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel at 4:00 pm. His full report will be presented to the Human Rights Council in May 2014.

Mr. Chaloka Beyani, a Zambian national and professor of international law at the London School of Economics, was appointed as Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons by the Human Rights Council in September 2010. As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-internally-displaced-persons

(*) Check the 2010 report on Georgia: http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/HRC/16/43/Add.3&Lang=E

UN Human Rights, country page – Georgia: http://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/georgia

For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Tbilisi: Marta Franco (+41 79 752 0486 / mfranco@ohchr.org) or Pol Planas (+41 79 444 3781 / pplanas@ohchr.org) or write to idp@ohchr.org.

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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