Back Public seminar on the role of civil society in promoting equality, diversity and human rights in Azerbaijan

Public seminar on the role of civil society in promoting equality, diversity and human rights in Azerbaijan

The Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Equality Platform Azerbaijan, organised a public webinar on the role of civil society in promoting equality, diversity and human rights.

The event targeted civil society organisations in Azerbaijan, but was also open to civil society actors from other countries.

During the seminar, it was the occasion to:

  • Learn more about the Equality Platform Azerbaijan, its activities and how to become a member.
  • Learn more about the role of civil society organisations in combating discrimination and promoting equality and diversity in other countries of the Eastern Partnership.
  • Get information about upcoming activities online and offline by civil society organisations in Azerbaijan.

During the event, there were inputs by civil society organisations and coalitions from Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova.

The Equality Platform Azerbaijan is an informal network of civil society organisations and individuals working on combating discrimination and promoting equality and inclusion in the country. The platform was formed in 2020, and it will launch during the event the “Equality Week 2021” series of activities for Equality, Diversity, and Human Eights, to raise public awareness and understanding about discrimination and to increase public recognition and participation in promoting equality, valuing diversity and protecting Human Rights. Several other activities to raise awareness on discrimination and the promotion of diversity will be organised in September 2021.

This webinar was organised in the framework of the project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Eastern Partnership countries”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II.

Azerbaijan 29 June 2021
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page
Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page
  • Imprimer en PDF
Addressing hate speech and hate crime: regional gathering of the network of Equality Bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership Region

A two-day workshop on addressing hate speech and hate crime took place at the premises of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, involving Equality bodies from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions.  The event supported by the EU and Council of Europe, gathered 50 representatives from both regions who discussed and exchanged on the best practices, measures and common challenges when addressing hate speech and hate crime. Through monitoring and reporting, policy advocacy, raising awareness and supporting victims equality bodies play a fundamental role in protecting human rights and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally.

In her opening remarks, Angela Longo, Head of Anti-discrimination Co-operation Unit, Council of Europe, underlined the significant progress in engaging with Equality Bodies through this network, regularly exchanging best practices and addressing the challenges of hatred and intolerance in societies. She highlighted that this new chapter of discussion delves into the grey area between hate speech and hate crime, addressing issues of incitement and biases,

Representatives from Equality Bodies had the opportunity to discuss and enhance their knowledge on the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Recommendation to member States on combating hate crime, adopted on 7th May 2024, as well as gain a clearer understanding of EU standards in the field of hate crime. Moreover, participants engaged in exchanges with peers from the Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), who shared insights on addressing hate speech in the public discourse. The National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) in Italy provided practical examples for developing counter-narratives and raising awareness initiatives.

They also explored opportunities to advocate for legislative reform, foster multisectoral co-operation, enhance data collection, and overall improve national mechanisms to counter hate crimes.

This seminar was organised within the action “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans” and the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination: towards more resilient and inclusive societies” – co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe  under the joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”.

Follow us on social media