on the following topic: Living Conditions in the Penitentiary System and Convicts' Contact with the Outside World;  On December 23, 2019, a meeting was held within the framework of the joint project of the Public Defender's Office and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Georgia. The theme of the meeting was: Migration and Asylum. The National Preventive Mechanism of the Public Defender's Office presented a monitoring report on the Temporary Placement Centre of the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The findings of the monitoring, alternatives to detention and legal remedies for the detainees were discussed and information was exchanged after the presentation. Participation in international events  On November 4-5, 2019, Giorgi Burjanadze, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, and Akaki Kukhaleishvili, Deputy Head of the National Preventive Mechanism (Department), attended events organized by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (APT) and the Association for the Prevention of Torture in Strasbourg. They participated in a working meeting organized by the Association for the Prevention of Torture, which was dedicated to the challenges relating to the rights situation of defendants in the first hours of their detention. Special attention was paid to the importance of effective monitoring and appropriate techniques in this area. At the same time, a conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture was held on November 4. The event was particularly focused on the importance of harmonious work of international and local monitoring mechanisms and strengthening/supporting each other's activities. Relations with NGOs and donor organizations The National Preventive Mechanism actively cooperated with various local and international NGOs and donors in 2019.  The National Preventive Mechanism actively cooperated with the European Union within the framework of the project - Combating All Forms of Discrimination in Georgia. For several years now, the EU has been providing significant financial and analytical assistance to the National Preventive Mechanism by financing regular activities, such as trainings, monitoring visits, public presentations, etc.  In December 2018, in accordance with the rules of cooperation with non-governmental organizations16 and within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed with 16 Available on the following address: <http://www.ombudsman.ge/res/docs/2019041010484470943.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2xAJ51tZ-iZj-LxR-8hxpFirOX_S1nQkaPiZjSlUZ4YuxyBDoZ1uVcEc> , [last accessed: 12.02.2020]. 20