On September 26, 2023, a meeting of the members of the Network of Free Legal Aid Providers was held at the UN House ,with the support of the United Nations Development Program UNDP.
The meeting's objectives were to approve the new regulations and welcome new organizations to the network. Five university legal clinics and six non-governmental groups have joined the network as new registered members.
The network of legal aid providers is a union of organizations providing free legal aid operating in Georgia, which includes various relevant agencies and budgetary bodies, as well as representatives of the non-governmental sector and university clinics.
The participants of the discussion focused on the issues like the improvement of the work of the network, the effective mechanism of redirecting the beneficiaries, as well as the creation of an online platform where it will be possible to exchange experiences and coordinate the work of the members within the network.
The Legal Aid Service, represented by its Director David Simonia, is the chair of the Referral Network, and the largest organization offering free legal assistance.
Ivane Javakhishvili of the Tbilisi State University Law Clinic and its Director, Ana Kharaishvili, were unanimously elected to serve as the network's deputy chairman at the conference.
It should be highlighted that the network of free legal aid providers was established in 2017 with the support of the European Union and the United Nations Development Program UNDP. 10 founding organizations joined it then. This time the number increased to 21.