News
Training for law enforcement in Armenia on identifying and investigating hate crimes
Police officers, prosecutors and investigators in Armenia have increased their knowledge on how to respond to hate crime more effectively thanks to a two-day training. The group learnt how to recognise hate motivated incidents; investigate cases more effectively; ensure justice and protection...
Regional workshop addresses evolving corruption challenges in Eastern Partnership countries
A two-day regional workshop on “Best practices in the investigation and prosecution of corruption” brought together practitioners and experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The event provided an opportunity to share experiences, discuss common challenges, and look...
Celebrating the European Day of Justice in the Republic of Moldova
A roundtable on European judicial values and interinstitutional dialogue was carried out in the framework of the European Day of Justice in Chișinău, on 27 October 2025. The event brought together members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), its evaluation and disciplinary boards,...
Celebrating Europe Day in Kutaisi: citizens test their knowledge of Europe and equality
On the occasion of Europe Day in Kutaisi, the Council of Europe joined the nationwide celebrations, engaging hundreds of citizens in interactive activities that combined learning and fun. Building on the success of previous events in Tbilisi and Batumi, the Kutaisi celebration focused on...
Closing the gender gap by addressing judicial data challenges
Experts and officials from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions met in Budapest to discuss how improved data collection can contribute to closing the gender gap in justice systems. The roundtable aimed to identify practical ways to connect laws, data, and policies to make justice...
Azerbaijani institutions explore international digital tools to protect women victims of violence
Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, along with experts from Türkiye and Spain, took part in a workshop on emergency support for women victims of violence. The participants explored how digital tools, such as Türkiye’s...
Inclusive Policing in Action: Law Enforcement and Civil Society Exchange on Protecting Ethnic and Religious Communities
Police officers, investigators, and civil society representatives from Armenia, Montenegro, and Serbia joined forces to strengthen co-operation and improve their capacity to identify, investigate, and prevent hate-motivated crimes against national, ethnic and religious communities. Organised with...
Law enforcement and civil society from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions join forces against discrimination in Sarajevo
Representatives of law enforcement and civil society organisations from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions met in Sarajevo to strengthen dialogue, build trust, and work together to combat hatred, discrimination, and racism in line with European standards. The regional event,...
144th plenary session of the Venice Commission: New opinion prepared under the Quick Response Mechanism
At its 144th plenary session (held on 9-10 October 2025), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others: Armenia Amicus curiae brief on the compatibility of Article 236 of the Criminal Code with the European standards on legal certainty. This opinion was prepared under the...
The Republic of Moldova advances reforms with European Union and Council of Europe support
From modernising courts’ management system to strengthening the protection of women’s rights and advancing democratic reforms, the Republic of Moldova is making tangible progress with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe’s joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”....
Moldovan legal professionals discuss ways to enable access to justice for women
Judges and prosecutors from across the Republic of Moldova met to discuss ways to further improve women’s access to justice, following the implementation of the mentoring programme for legal professionals in the Eastern Partnership region. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the...
Belarusian democratic forces and civil society promote Council of Europe anti-discrimination standards
Belarusian democratic forces and civil society representatives have today concluded a training course on European standards on equality and anti-discrimination. At an event in Strasbourg, 18 Belarusian trainees – activists, lawyers, media professionals and scholars – received certificates of...
Council of Europe continues supporting Armenia in enhancing anti-corruption and money laundering investigations
Effective investigation of financial crimes is a cornerstone for ensuring the stability of a country’s economic system, which requires adequate capacity of the law enforcement authorities in detection and disruption of complex financial schemes used to conceal the origins of illicit funds. A...
Building capacity: Armenia established a network of mediation trainers
Armenia has taken another important step in strengthening mediation as a cornerstone of its justice reforms. From 5 to 9 September 2025, twelve mediators completed an intensive Training of Trainers course. They are now ready to train the next generation of mediators across the country. This...
Young voices committed against hatred in the Republic of Moldova
“No-hate” Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) from the Republic of Moldova visited the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau to discuss their engagement in initiatives of promoting equality and inclusion in the society. The Young European Ambassadors brainstormed on how to increase equality in the...
Armenian authorities and civil society strengthen co-operation on hate crime data collection
A training for police, investigators, prosecutors, and civil society representatives from Armenia was held on improving data collection mechanisms for hate crime and discrimination-related cases. The training helped participants put European standards into practice by working with Armenian...
Building skills to detect and address financial crime
Representatives from supervisory and financial intelligence units of Azerbaijan participated in a training aimed at strengthening their ability to detect and address money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks across different sectors of the economy. The training also focused on...
Human rights defenders in Ajara launch Anti-Hate Speech Network
A two-day workshop in Ajara brought together local human rights defenders, activists, and journalists to strengthen their ability to counter hate speech in the region. The training introduced participants to European and national standards and equipped them with practical knowledge. During the...
Eastern Partnership judicial training institutions take stock of progress to advance access to justice for women
Representatives of the Eastern Partnership judicial training institutions, alongside members of civil society, and European Union and Council of Europe representatives, met on 4 July 2025, to take stock of the progress achieved in advancing access to justice for women. The 3rd Technical Steering...
International conference in Armenia highlights importance of Prosecutorial independence in cases involving public officials
A high-level international conference held on 1-2 July in Dilijan, Armenia, addressed the critical issue of prosecutorial independence and impartiality, particularly in the context of criminal prosecution of public officials for offences such as corruption and money laundering. Organised by the...


