News
Publication of the comparative review of the procedural and institutional setup of functioning of lawyers in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
In the framework of the PGG II project “Strengthening the legal profession in line with European standards”, a comparative review of the procedural and institutional setup of functioning of lawyers in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine was published. The comparative review is focused...
State of Emergency and Human Rights obligations : Georgian judges discuss most recent European practice and approach with the Venice Commission expert
COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the importance of scrutiny over derogations from fundamental rights and liberties. The scrutiny is primarily entrusted to the judicial powers, and several proceedings have already been initiated throughout Europe. Georgia is among the countries that has declared...
Venice Commission adopts opinions for Armenia and the Republic of Moldova
On 18 and 19 June 2020, the European Commission of Democracy through Law (the “Venice Commission”) has adopted two opinions prepared under the PGG Quick response Mechanism through a written procedure: The Republic of Moldova – Opinion on the Revised draft Law on amending and supplementing the...
Webinar series on combating discrimination to take place this summer
Five webinars will be organised between June and August on combating discrimination and working with victims. The aim of the webinars is to build attendees’ understanding of key discrimination areas and issue, and also share good practices from the Eastern Partnership region (Armenia, Azerbaijan,...
Call for tenders : design and layout services on access to justice in Eastern Partnership countries
The Council of Europe is launching a call for the provision of publication design and layout services on access to justice in Eastern Partnership countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) in the framework of PGG II regional project “Women’s Access to...
Latest edition of Partnership for Good Governance II is out
Do you want to learn more about PGG II projects and activities ? Then have a look at the latest edition of our newsletter ! We are talking about the COVID-19 crisis and its challenges, presenting about the launch of two new HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Profesionnals) courses (watch our...
President of Moldovan Equality Council speaks about cooperation in the field of anti-discrimination on the occasion of EU Days
”Our Equality Council yearly examines around 300 complaints and almost every complaint is a story of someone fighting for their rights.” Ian Feldman, President of the Moldovan Equality Council On May 22, in the context of the celebration of the EU days, President of the Moldovan Equality Council,...
Supporting the Constitutional Court of Georgia to further improve its Case Management System during COVID-19 crisis
With the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, the Constitutional Court of Georgia continues to offer improved electronic litigation, allowing court users to navigate more easily and get all relevant case-related information. This initiative will refine communication between...
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) ensures participation of partner institutions of cooperation programs into SATURN working group meeting
On 18 May 2020, representatives of the partner institutions of the Judiciary of Georgia, Latvia, Slovak Republic attended the meeting of the SATURN working group on judicial timeframes of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice. The meeting focused on the project concerning the...
73 participants from Eastern Partnership countries to take the HELP course on Fight Against Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia and Transphobia
Over 70 participants from equality bodies, Ombudsperson institutions, NGOs and public agencies from the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine) are engaging in a regional HELP course on fighting racism, xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia. The...
Call for Tenders for national consultants in the Republic of Moldova
The Council of Europe is launching calls for the provision of consultancy services in the fields of court management and enforcement of court decisions in civil and administrative matters in the Republic of Moldova, in the framework of the Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2021 (PGG II)...
Upcoming activities for the PGG II project “Strengthening the efficiency and quality of the judicial system in Azerbaijan”
In the framework of the PG II project “Strengthening the efficiency and quality of the judicial system in Azerbaijan”, a system of enforcement timeframes and recovery rates will be set-up as indicators of the efficiency of the enforcement system and in view of evaluating bailiffs’ performance. To...
PGG and the Covid-19 crisis: The protection and promotion of European citizens rights is essential
While the COVID-19 situation is evolving fast and has developed into an unprecedented crisis in Europe and in the whole world, we need to stay united and to continue working together to protect and promote the rights and freedoms of European citizens. The Partnership for Good Governance (PGG)...
Call for tenders for the provision of local consultancy services in the area of access to justice and violence against women in Eastern Partnership countries
The Council of Europe is launching a call for the provision of consultancy services on access to justice and violence against women in Eastern Partnership countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) in the framework of the EU/Council of Europe Partnership...
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) concretely involved in the implementation of judicial reforms in Georgia
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) experts have started the evaluation of the administrative organisation of the Georgian courts and its non-judicial staff with a view to developing recommendations and guidelines concerning the evaluation of non-judicial staff. The...
Review of the criminal legislation launched in Georgia
Active efforts were undertaken to bring criminal procedure legislation in Georgia closer to the ECHR standards in the framework of PGG II Project “Supporting the criminal justice reforms - tackling criminal aspects of the judicial reforms in Georgia”. Following the results of high-level event...
Judges in Georgia to follow the second HELP course launched in the country: Reasoning of Criminal Judgments in Georgia
In cooperation with the High School of Justice of Georgia, the Council of Europe HELP course Reasoning of Criminal Judgements is launched for a second time and will be implemented for a period of seven weeks in Georgian under this European Union-Council of Europe action. This HELP course is...
Launch of HELP course on International Cooperation in Criminal Matters in Georgia
The Council of Europe HELP online course International Cooperation in Criminal Matters was launched for the first time in Georgia for a range of legal professionals. Mr Cristian Urse, Head of Office, Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Mr Gocha lordkipanidze, Deputy of Minister of Justice, Ms...
Council of Europe provides expert opinion on Azerbaijan’s legislation applicable to implementation of targeted financial sanctions
Council of Europe provided a legal opinion to the Financial Intelligence Unit of Azerbaijan, upon its request, on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing legislation. The analysis and recommendations of the opinion are intended to support the competent authorities in improving the...
PGG project cooperates with Ukraine authorities to enhance anti-money laundering measures
Many economic crimes involve misuse of corporate entities to hide origins of illicit gains. Increasing transparency around ultimate beneficial owners of corporate entities and understanding their potential money laundering and terrorist financing risks help countries to mitigate such misuse....
Venice Commission adopted opinions for Armenia and the Republic of Moldova
Following the spread of the COVID-19 virus to northern Italy, the Enlarged Bureau of the Venice Commission had decided not to hold the scheduled 20-21 March plenary session in Venice. Instead, only some opinions of those on the agenda have been adopted by written procedure. The preparation of two...
Results of a public survey on the perception of discrimination in Belarus
A new report on the perception of discrimination in Belarus has been published. The Anti-discrimination Department of the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the National Centre of Legislation and Legal research of the Republic of Belarus, initiated in autumn 2019 a public survey to assess...
Training of Trainers (ToT) organised with the Justice Academy in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia
A two-day training of trainers (ToT) on “Peculiarities of the victim's status in the criminal proceedings” and on “Practical skills for applying alternative preventive measures to detention” was organised in co-operation with the Justice Academy on 6-7 March in Tsaghkadzor. The goal of the first...
Future steps for the improvement of the data collection on discrimination discussed in Ukraine
On 3 March, the Council of Europe organised a meeting with representatives from state and non-state institutions in order to discuss progress in the collection of disaggregated data on cases of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Ukraine. Two Council of Europe experts presented a report...
Armenian civil servants participate in an awareness raising workshop on integrity systems and corruption prevention
An awareness raising workshop on integrity systems and corruption prevention took place on 3 March 2020, in Yerevan, Armenia. The workshop highlighted the importance of establishing a regular anti-corruption training for civil servants. Representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Corruption...
Improvement of the system of law enforcement in the Republic of Moldova through self-evaluation and new ICT tools
The system of enforcement of court decisions in civil and administrative matters in the Republic of Moldova will mark soon 10 years since switching to the institute of private judicial officers (bailiffs). This important reform was supported back in 2010 by the Council of Europe and the European...
Second Steering Committee Meeting of the PGG II Georgia
The second Steering Committee Meeting of the EU/CoE Partnership for Good Governance Project on “Enhancing the systems of prevention and combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in Georgia” was organised on 27 February 2020. The Committee members took stock of the results...
Study visit to the Council of Europe for Georgian delegation of judicial candidates
In the framework of the project "Supporting the criminal justice reforms – tackling criminal aspects of the judicial reforms in Georgia", a study visit to the Council of Europe was organised in 25-26 February 2020 for Georgian delegation of 19 judicial candidates at the final stage of the...
CEPEJ continues to support the improvement of the efficiency of courts and the quality of judicial services in the Republic of Moldova
In the framework of the project “Support to further strengthening the efficiency and quality of the judicial system in the Republic of Moldova”, an expert mission aimed at addressing the steps for the dissemination of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) tools in all...
Ukraine’s Financial Intelligence Unit provided with recommendations for anti-money laundering statistical data collection
The Council of Europe has provided recommendations to further improve a set of comprehensive anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing statistical indicators developed by State Financial Monitoring Service (Financial Intelligence Unit of Ukraine). Adequate data collection is essential...
Call for tenders : production of four short promotional films on PGG
The Council of Europe is launching a Call for Tender for the production of four short promotional films on PGG on the occasion of its midterm implementation event that will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia, mid-May 2020. The deadline for the submission is 2 March 18:00. More information can be...
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) will organise a fact-finding visit to Georgia on 18 and 19 February 2020
On 18 and 19 February 2020, the CEPEJ Secretariat, accompanied by a group of international experts, will organise a fact finding visit to Georgia in order to introduce the new CEPEJ project in Georgiaand the work of CEPEJ to the main beneficiaries and partners (High Council of Justice, Ministry...
Training of Trainers for Prosecutors in Tbilisi, Georgia
The Council of Europe and the European Union organized training of trainers (ToT) for prosecutors on application of pre-trail measures on 6-7 February 2020. Participants explored the application of pre-trial measures under article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Special...
Regional conference on asset recovery and asset management
The regional conference “From Asset Recovery to Asset Management” took place in Chisinau on 29-30 January 2020. The conference aimed at sharing good comparative practices related to recovery, management and disposal of frozen, seized or confiscated proceeds of crime and discussing international...
Eastern Partnership Ambassadors closely following PGG II
On 24 January 2020, the Council of Europe (the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes) organized a review of the 2019 results and 2020 plans of the Partnership for Good Governance phase II (PGG II) for the Eastern Partnership Ambassadors (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, the...
Training for Ukraine authorities on money laundering and terrorist financing risks associated with corporate entities
A training on “Identifying money laundering and terrorist financing risks associated with corporate entities” was held on 15-16 January 2020, in Kyiv, Ukraine. The training aimed at fostering understanding of beneficial ownership requirements and developing practical skills on identifying...
Financial monitoring service of Azerbaijan improves strategic analysis skills
A two-day training on “Strategic Analysis” took place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18-19 December 2019 as part of the capacity building activities specifically designed to strengthen strategic and operational analysis capacities and expertise of the Financial Monitoring Service (national Financial...
Anti-discrimination seminar to be held in Minsk, Belarus on 12-13 December
A national training seminar on anti-discrimination in practice will be held on 12 and 13 December in Minsk, the Republic of Belarus. Capacity building activities on the application of European antidiscrimination standards in their daily work will lead to more expertise of public authorities and...
Armenian criminal justice sector stakeholders discuss draft Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes
In order to promote the criminal justice reform, several round table discussions on the draft Criminal Procedure (CPC) and Criminal (CC) Codes of Armenia were organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice in November-December 2019. Particularly, on 20-21 November...
Launching of the project “Support to further strengthening the efficiency and quality of the judicial system in the Republic of Moldova”
The Council of Europe and the European Union launched, in co-operation with national partners, the project “Support to further strengthening the efficiency and quality of the judicial system in the Republic of Moldova”, part of the second phase of the Partnership for Good Governance (2019-2021)....
Public discussion on the draft Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia
On 6 December in Yerevan, a public discussion on the draft Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia was organised where a variety of stakeholders, representatives of international organisations and civil society discussed various issues and proposals regarding the text of the draft...
Findings of the legislative review on the Moldovan legislation in the field of anti-discrimination discussed in Chisinau
The Council of Europe carried out a legislative review offering the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova an expert opinion, in view of ensuring that the national legislation in the field of anti-discrimination is aligned with European standards, particularly the European Convention on...
Members of the national Financial Intelligence Unit and General Prosecutor's Office trained on Open Source Intelligence in Azerbaijan
A five-day “Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Training” took place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 25-29 November 2019 by bringing together the analysts of the Financial Monitoring Service and investigative professionals of the Anti-Corruption Directorate under the General Prosecutor’s Office. The...
International conference: Implementing non-discrimination commitments – a path to achieving European human rights standards
The necessity of strong cooperation between national authorities and civil society, role of lawyers and the use of communication strategies as key tools for preventing and fighting discrimination were the focus of the joint European Union and Council of Europe international conference that took...
Equality bodies/Ombudsoffices and civil society from the EaP to explore how to best communicate with, and inform victims of discrimination, in regional thematic event
Strengthening the capacity of equality bodies/Ombudsoffices and NGOs to inform the public about available redress mechanisms to discrimination, hate speech and hate crime is at the core of the regional project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims...
The European Union and the Council of Europe support discussions on the draft Law on national minorities in Armenia
On 31 October 2019, the PGG regional project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries” supported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, in cooperation...
Council of Europe and the European Union present the Partnership for Good Governance Programme 2019-2021 in the Republic of Moldova
The European Union and the Council of Europe will carry out two projects aimed at improving the justice system in the Republic of Moldova under the Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) 2019-2021. These two projects were presented today in Chisinau during the 1st PGG II Local Steering Committee...
First Mentoring Programme for legal professionals in Eastern Partnership countries
On 21-22 October 2019, Eastern Partnership countries’ training institutes for judges and prosecutors took part in a 2-day training of mentors’ programme organised by the Council of Europe. Through discussions and interactive experiential methods, the participants were made conversant with the...
Workshop on Assets Declaration System in Armenia
On 16 October, the workshop on Assets Declaration System in Armenia in the frame of the PGG II Project on “Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia" was held in Yerevan. The objective of the workshop was to present the findings and recommendations from the...
Venice Commission: no provisions of the Istanbul Convention can be considered contradictory to the Constitution of Armenia
In an opinion adopted on 11 October, the Council of Europe’s constitutional law body, the Venice Commission, concluded that, while the ratification of any treaty is a sovereign act of the state, and it belongs to the Constitutional Court of Armenia to rule on the compatibility of the Council of...
Council of Europe and the Delegation of the European Union present their joint projects in Ukraine for the 2019-2021 period
On Thursday, 11 October, the Council of Europe and the Delegation of the European Union presented to the media in Kyiv the Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) projects in Ukraine for the period 2019 - 2021 during the 1st PGG II Local Steering Committee meeting. One country specific project...
Training on mutual legal assistance in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing in Azerbaijan
The training on “Mutual Legal Assistance In Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) Investigations” took place on 9-10 October 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan and brought together 30 prosecutors and investigators of the Anti-Corruption Directorate, General Prosecutor’s Office, as...
Council of Europe and the EU Delegation present joint projects in Belarus for 2019-2021
On Tuesday, 8 October, the Council of Europe and the Delegation of the European Union presented to media in Minsk their joint projects in Belarus for the period 2019 – 2021. The presentation was part of the first meeting of the Local Steering Committee under the second phase of the Partnership...
The EU Delegation and the Council of Europe present joint projects for Azerbaijan for 2019-2021 under the second phase of the Partnership for Good Governance
On Thursday, 3 October, the Delegation of the European Union and the Council of Europe presented new joint projects to be carried out in Azerbaijan under the second phase of the joint Partnership for Good Governance (PGGII) programme. The presentation was part of the first Local Steering...
New joint EU-Council of Europe projects for 2019-2021 to help combatting money laundering, strengthening judicial system in Azerbaijan
New joint projects presented today in Baku by the Delegation of the European Union and the Council of Europe to be carried out in Azerbaijan in 2019-2021 under the second phase of the joint Partnership for Good Governance (PGGII) programme aim at assisting the authorities in fighting and...
The European Union Delegation and the Council of Europe to present their joint projects in Armenia for 2019-2021
On Tuesday, 1 October, the Delegation of the European Union and the Council of Europe presented to the media in Yerevan the Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) projects in Armenia for the period 2019 - 2021 during the 1st PGG II Local Steering Committee meeting. Two projects will be implemented...
Council of Europe and the EU Delegation present their new joint projects in Georgia for 2019-2021
On Tuesday, 1 October, the Council of Europe and the Delegation of the European Union presented to media in Tbilisi new projects under the Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) in Georgia for the period 2019 - 2021. Two country-specific projects were implemented in Georgia between 2019 and 2021...
“Strengthening the capacities of the justice sector actors to deliver justice in line with European Standards, in particular to fight discrimination” - First meeting of the Project’s Steering Committee
The 1st Steering Committee meeting of the PGG project on strengthening the capacities of the Moldovan justice sector was held on 25 September 2019. Participants have approved the project plan and appreciated the necessity for this country-specific project that would build on the efforts and...
Council of Europe and the European Union to present the Partnership for Good Governance Programme 2019-2021 in the Republic of Moldova
On Wednesday, 25 September, the Council of Europe and the Delegation of the European Union will present to the media in Chisinau the Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) projects in the Republic of Moldova for the period 2019 - 2021 during the 1st PGG II Local Steering Committee meeting. Two...
New online course on CPT Standards published on the HELP online platform
A new free online course on the standards developed by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) is now available on the HELP online platform. The course was developed by the Council of Europe HELP Programme in close cooperation...
Call for tenders: local consultancy in the Eastern Partnership countries on an anti-discrimination project
The Council of Europe is currently implementing and until 31 December 2021 a Project on strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of...
Death penalty should be abolished in Belarus
How to work with public opinion with a view to inform its views on the death penalty and the necessity for its abolition was the theme of the conference which took place in Minsk on 27 August 2019. The event was the result of the thorough dialogue the Council of Europe has had with the Belarusian...
The 2019 Help Network Conference "HELP: Celebrating The 70th Anniversary of The Council of Europe" is taking place in Strasbourg on 4-5 July 2019.
The European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) of the Council of Europe aims at assisting legal professionals to effectively apply the European human rights standards in their daily work. The HELP Network is the only European peer-to-peer human rights training...
Venice Commission: the dissolution of parliament in the Republic of Moldova did not meet the required conditions
At its 2019 June plenary session, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) adopted an opinion on the recent situation in the Republic of Moldova from a constitutional point of view, including on the conditions for the dissolution of parliament. The Venice Commission...
Venice Commission endorsed an urgent opinion on the selection and appointment of supreme court judges in Georgia
The Venice Commission, in its urgent opinion for Georgia on the Selection and appointment of Supreme Court judges, endorsed during its Plenary Session on 21-22 June in Venice, concluded that the lifetime appointment (up to retirement) of 18 to 20 new Supreme Court judges by the current majority...
Disaggregated data collection remains key to the prevention of discrimination and protection of victims
Recording and reporting hate crime, discrimination and hate speech remain an important priority for public authorities, the Ombudsoffice and civil society in Ukraine. Disaggregated data collection is a central consideration in the process of monitoring the implementation of national legislation...
The Steering Committee of the PGG II- project on “Countering Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in Belarus” meets in Minsk
The 1st Steering Committee Meeting of the Project on “Countering Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in Belarus” took place on the morning of 19 June 2019 in Minsk, Belarus. Members of the Steering committee are representatives from Investigative Committee, General Prosecutor’s Office,...
First national meeting on disaggregated data collection on discrimination, hate speech and hate crime in the Republic of Moldova
Improving the methods for disaggregated data collection on discrimination, hate speech and hate crime was the main topic of the first national stakeholders’ meeting on this theme in the Republic of Moldova. Stakeholders agreed that the current methods can be improved through: a national study on...
First Steering Committee Meeting of the project on “Strengthening anti-money laundering and asset recovery in Azerbaijan”
The Project on “Strengthening Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery in Azerbaijan” held its first Steering Committee Meeting on 30 May 2019. The meeting brought together representatives from 15 key beneficiary institutions to present the activities to be implemented under the project and...
First Steering Committee Meeting of PGG Project on “Enhancing the systems of prevention and combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in Georgia”
The First Steering Committee Meeting of the EU/CoE Partnership for Good Governance Project on “Enhancing the systems of prevention and combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in Georgia” (PGG II-GE) was organized on 28 May 2019. During the meeting, the Committee members...
PGG II Women’s Access to Justice presented at Gender Division’s Project Fair
A report on capacity building and co-operation projects managed by the Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Division was presented at the meeting of the Gender Equality Commission, on 23 May 2019 in Strasbourg, “Gender equality is part of the priorities for cooperation in our member States and...
European non-discrimination standards explored by Belarusian students
On 13-17 May 2019 the Council of Europe organised in Gomel, Belarus, a five-day Spring School on Human Rights and Combating Discrimination for 35 law students from six universities of Belarus. The programme was built around the key grounds for discrimination, such as race, ethnicity, sex and...
Information event on EU/CoE joint programmes on the occasion of the 2019 Europe day
On the occasion of the 2019 Europe Day, the Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes organised an information event on 10 May 2019 in Strasbourg dedicated to the promotion of the cooperation between the...
Second phase of the Partnership for Good Governance launched in Brussels
The European Union and Council of Europe are extending the Partnership for Good Governance programme to help strengthen human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The second phase of the programme (worth €17.5 million...
Launch of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint project “Supporting the criminal justice reforms – tackling criminal aspects of the judicial reform”
European Union and the Council of Europe officially launched a joint project "Supporting the criminal justice reforms" on 15 April 2019 bringing together state authorities, members of the parliament, international donor organisations, members of the High Council of Justice, judges of the Common...
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