The International conference on “Non-discrimination is a priority in democratic states” will be organised on 1 - 2 December 2016 in Chisinau.  The purpose of the conference is to gather participants from Eastern Partnership countries in order to exchange experiences and to find solutions for better protection against discrimination at national level.

The conference will cover various aspects of non-discrimination, the evolution of the concept of discrimination from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) perspective and the ECtHR practice in the field of non-discrimination, mediation in cases of discrimination, the use of the amicus curiae by equality bodies. Also, separate sessions will be dedicated to the balancing of anti-hate speech regulations and the need to ensure freedom of opinion and freedom of expression; and gender stereotypes and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Conference will be attended by relevant authorities, notably the representatives of Ombudspersons’ Offices, equality bodies, state authorities and key local NGOs from: Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Belarus, as well as international experts.

This activity is organised in the framework of the project “Supporting national efforts for prevention and combating discrimination in Moldova” which is part of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus and is funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe.