News
EU and Council of Europe continue supporting Armenia to implement reform priorities
The European Union, the Council of Europe and the Armenian partners and beneficiaries have emphasised the importance of the Partnership for Good Governance programme in aligning Armenia‘s reform efforts with European standards in areas of strengthening justice, preventing and countering economic...
Empowering a new generation of anti-racism trainers in Eastern Europe and Western Balkans
As part of its ongoing efforts to advancing anti-discrimination policies in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions, the Council of Europe launched a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme. This initiative brings together over 30 participants, including representatives from public...
Armenian judges and prosecutors discuss strategies to improve access to justice for women
The Armenian Academy of Justice and the Administrative Court held a discussion on ways to further improve access to justice for women, following the implementation of the mentoring programme for legal professionals in the Eastern Partnership region. Judges and prosecutors met to take stock of the...
Cities against hate: Italian and Moldovan cities meet to discuss experiences and best practices in addressing hatred
Representatives from the Moldovan cities of Călărași, Cimișlia, Dubăsari, and Soroca joined their peers from Brescia and Reggio Emilia, Italy, and engaged in discussions centred on the theme "Città contro l’odio" (Cities against hate). This collaborative initiative aimed to foster the exchange of...
Strengthening co-operation: Ukrainian Constitutional Court delegation visits the Council of Europe and EU institutions
A delegation from the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) visited the Council of Europe in France and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg, to discuss ongoing co-operation and explore further steps in the development of the constitutional justice in Ukraine. During...
142nd plenary session of the Venice Commission: New opinions prepared under the Quick Response Mechanism
At its 142nd plenary session (held on 14-15 March 2025), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others: Armenia Opinion on the draft amendments and supplements to the Legislation of the Republic of Armenia on Expropriation of Property for Overriding Public Interests....
Building a safer and more inclusive environment for LGBTI persons
The Council of Europe joined forces with the National Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (ANPCV) in the Republic of Moldova, to provide a common platform for discussion between state authorities and civil society organisations on LGBTI rights. ...
EU and Council of Europe continue co-operation work in Azerbaijan to implement reform priorities
The European Union and the Council of Europe organised the second local steering committee meeting for the Partnership for Good Governance programme. During the meeting, participants reviewed results obtained over the past year, exchanged ideas on challenges and ways to address them, and...
Adoption of constitutional court ethical rules for Ukrainian judges will enhance public trust
A round-table on the adoption of ethical rules for constitutional court judges in Ukraine brought together representatives of Ukrainian authorities, judges, legal professionals, and Council of Europe experts. The aim is to establish a set of ethical rules grounded in four key principles:...
Empowering Azerbaijani Police: New training on domestic violence launched
A Council of Europe Human Rights Educational for Legal Professionals (HELP) course on combating domestic violence was launched for Azerbaijani police officers in an adapted version. This comprehensive course aims to equip law enforcement personnel with the critical knowledge and skills necessary...
Azerbaijani authorities discuss multi-agency co-operation on combating violence against women
A platform for discussion was held in Azerbaijan aimed at fostering multi-agency co-operation to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. The event brought together 25 representatives from state institutions, academia, and civil society, who emphasised the importance of...
New course launched in Azerbaijan to enhance mediation skills for legal professionals
A new course aimed at improving the quality of justice through mediation has been launched in Azerbaijan through the Council of Europe's Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme. This initiative is a collaborative effort with the Mediation Council and the Academy of Justice...
Fostering collaboration to combat hate speech through a pioneering training for Ukraine’s legal professionals
For the first time, representatives of Ukraine's police, prosecution, and judiciary from various regions participated together in a training programme designed to help them identify, classify, and counteract hate speech in their work. Participants highly valued the opportunity to collaborate...
Armenian civil society and the Council of Europe collaborate on judicial reform progress
A round-table brought together Armenian civil society organisations (CSOs) to evaluate the progress of the country’s 2022-2026 Strategy for Judicial and Legal Reforms. This strategy is vital for ensuring a more transparent, efficient, and accountable justice system. Discussions between CSO...
Police and Equality Council strengthen collaboration during Human Rights week in the Republic of Moldova
In a continued effort to promote equality, dignity and freedom, the Police and the Equality Council of the Republic of Moldova met in Chisinau to reinforce their collaboration. The meeting focused on advancing practices and improving the reporting, analysis, and qualification of cases involving...
Updated online course “Combating hate speech” launched in Azerbaijani
The Council of Europe HELP online course “Combating hate speech” in Azerbaijani is now available in its updated version for free. The translation and adaptation of the course for Azerbaijan was made with the support of the EU and the Council of Europe, as part of the Partnership for Good...
Fostering dialogue on gender based violence through an innovative approach in Azerbaijan
A café discussion on the European Court of Human Rights' case law concerning domestic violence was held in Baku. This event, the second of its kind, was organised during the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”. The event served as a platform for meaningful dialogue and exchange,...
Promoting gender equality and women’s access to justice across the Eastern Partnership and the Western Balkan regions
Judges, prosecutors and representatives from judicial training institutions across the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans regions met in Tirana, to assess the results of the mentoring programme for legal professionals on women’s access to justice. A series of thematic exchanges were held on...
Study visit for judges of the Ukrainian Constitutional Court to strengthen European co-operation with Germany and France
A delegation of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine undertook a study visit to Germany and France on 18-21 November. This visit aimed at exchanging expertise, deepen ties with European legal institutions, and advance the alignment of Ukraine’s constitutional justice with European standards. In...
Countering hate speech in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions by enhancing equality bodies’ communication tools
An important mandate of the equality bodies is developing effective communication strategies to combat the pressing issues of hate speech and hate crime. To this end, representatives of equality bodies in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions participated to an online workshop. The...