On December 9-10, 2023, the USAID Rule of Law Program through Kutaisi and Batumi Rule of Law Hubs together with the Legal Aid Service (LAS) delivered a training entitled, Basic Human Rights Issues to 50 student-paralegals from Kutaisi and Batumi.

Human rights expert Giorgi Burjanadze led the training. He began his presentation by emphasizing the importance of upholding human rights in alignment with European standards to facilitate Georgia's integration into the EU.  He provided information on the origins and concept of human rights, and discussed the 1921 Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, foundational documents which have shaped the development of human rights protection in Georgia.

Mr. Burjanadze also discussed individual rights like the right to life, property, non-discrimination, fair trial, and freedom of speech. He used cases from the Constitutional Court of Georgia and the European Court of Human Rights as examples. He emphasized the importance of safeguarding labor rights and the right to health. The students went on to actively debate the balance between freedom of speech and hate speech, particularly in the digital era.

This was the final training session for the student-paralegals in 2023. In 2024, the Rule of Law Hubs and LAS plan to deliver trainings on labor rights, land registration, loan/mortgage agreements, communication and presentation skills, as well as conduct a mock trial competition and do consultation visits across the Imereti and Adjara regions of Georgia.