News
Building a safer and more inclusive environment for LGBTI people
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. ...
Read about key achievements of the programme in Eastern Partnership countries
The Partnership for Good Governance main highlights factsheets detail key results achieved during the ongoing third phase of the EU and Council of Europe joint programme. These factsheets showcase significant achievements in main thematic areas, including: strengthening justice, countering...
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...
Strengthening anti-discrimination policies in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans regions
As part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen anti-discrimination policies in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions, an online workshop was organised to advance anti racism initiatives across these regions. A key highlight of this workshop was the presentation of findings from a...
Pool of mediators established to make the Armenian justice system more efficient and accessible
A pool of 120 mediators has been established in Armenia aiming at making the justice system more efficient and accessible. This action is meant at supporting national authorities to meet the mandatory mediation requirements for family law disputes introduced to the Armenian Civil Procedure Code...
Empowering legal professionals in the Republic of Moldova to combat discrimination
A tailor-made training for 51 judges, prosecutors, and judicial staff in the Republic of Moldova was organised to support them further in the identification of prejudices and stereotypes, legal practice in handling discrimination cases, as well as working with the victims of hate speech and...
Presentation of the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors collection of opinions in Armenian
The Consultative Council of European Prosecutors collection of opinions is now available in Armenian and it was presented in Yerevan on 15 November 2024 with the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Armenia. During the presentation of the translation, the importance of having this...
Strategies towards safer environment and spaces for the LGBTI community identified for the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions
LGBTI persons in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions face significant discrimination and abuse, including violence, due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. The latest Council of Europe Anti-Racism Commission (ECRI) General Policy Recommendation...