The Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Mr. Walter Kälin, is visiting Georgia from 1 to 4 October at the invitation of the Government .   Mr. Kälin will engage with a wide range of actors in order to assess the current situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the conflict-affected areas from a human rights perspective. The aim is to identify the challenges in addressing the situation of the internally displaced following the recent conflict, to explore possibilities for addressing such challenges in the immediate and long-term, as well as to elaborate concrete recommendations in this regard.   The Representative of the Secretary-General plans to start with meetings in Tbilisi where he will meet with Government officials, civil society, international organizations and IDPs. He will then travel to Gori and surrounding areas to assess the situation and meet with IDPs and relevant actors involved in addressing the human rights of IDPs. Mr. Kälin hopes to be able to also visit Tskhinvali and surrounding conflict-affected areas in the near future.   His findings and recommendations will be presented to the Human Rights Council.   Mr. Kälin was appointed to the post of Representative in 2004. In carrying out his mandate, he engages in international advocacy and action for improving protection and respect of the human rights of the internally displaced. Since his appointments, he has carried out several visits and country missions, including most recently the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, the Central African Republic and Azerbaijan.   Walter Kälin will take part in a joint press conference at the end of his mission on Saturday, 4 October 2008 at 12:00 at the Ministry for Refugees and Accommodation, Tamarashvili street N 15a, Saburtalo, Tbilisi.   For more information on Mr. Kälin's mandate please go to   http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/idp/index.htm