News
Armenian Police Officers trained on equality and non-discrimination
A two-day event for police officers in Armenia improved their knowledge and understanding of equality and non-discrimination concepts in accordance with the European standards. The opening part of the training session was attended by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan, by the...
Presenting European standards on national minorities in Armenia
A joint working discussion on the Draft law on national minorities, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Armenia and the National Assembly Commission on Human Rights Protection and Public Relations of Armenia, supported by the European Union and the Council of Europe, brought together...
Further steps taken by the Regional Network of Eastern Partnership judicial training institutions for advancing women’s access to justice and gender mainstreaming in the justice chain
The second meeting of the Eastern Partnership Regional Network of judicial training institutions was held on 5 July 2024 in Strasbourg, as part of the HELP Network Annual Conference. The meeting gathered rectors, vice-rectors and heads of international co-operation departments from Eastern...
Combating hate speech in Armenia by empowering educational institutions
The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia launched an important initiative to combat hate speech in educational institutions. An expected series of actions will empower educators and students by providing necessary tools and knowledge to stand against hate speech. This comes as...
139th Plenary session of the Venice Commission: New opinions prepared under the Quick Response Mechanism
At its 139th plenary session (held on 21-22 June 2024), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others: Armenia Joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity on the draft law on national minorities. Republic of Moldova...
Strengthening police and civil society collaboration to combat racism in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries
In continuation of the joint efforts put in place by the European Union and the Council of Europe to enhance cross-regional collaboration to combat racism in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries, a peer-to-peer exchange was organised in Skopje. This training brought together...
Armenian officials and law enforcement successfully completed advanced course on combating hate Speech
From 5 April to 30 May 2024, twelve representatives from Armenia's Ministry of Justice, the Human Rights Defender’s Office, and law enforcement agencies successfully completed an online course on combating hate speech. This course, focused on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance...
High-level conference on strengthening the effectiveness of international co-operation in fighting transnational organised crime
The two-day international conference “Strengthening the effectiveness of international co-operation in fighting transnational organised crime”, served as a platform and an opportunity to share challenges prosecutors face in specific, complex cases, including those addressing the confiscation of...
The European Union and the Council of Europe continue supporting the Armenian authorities to implement reform priorities
The European Union and the Council of Europe together with representatives from the national authorities and beneficiary institutions, held the second Local Steering Committee meeting under the third phase of the Partnership for Good Governance. “Today’s meeting is a proof of excellent...
Fostering Diversity and inclusion with Young European Ambassadors in Armenia
Five Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) visited the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan to discuss ongoing activities and country-specific initiatives in the field of non-discrimination in Armenia. This included an in-depth exploration of the project “Promoting equality and non-discrimination in...
Young European Ambassadors sending a loud and clear message from Budapest: Say NO to hatred!
More than 50 Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) got introduced to methods on how to effectively address hate speech and discrimination. This will enable the YEAs to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of equality and diversity, ultimately contributing to combating hate...
137th Plenary session of the Venice Commission: New opinions prepared under the Quick Response Mechanism
At its 137th plenary session (held on 15-16 December 2023), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others: Armenia Joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the Council of Europe on the Concept Paper...
Judges and prosecutors in Armenia discussed various dimensions of criminal proceedings in absentia and confiscation of property of illicit origin
A series of discussions addressing crucial legal aspects related to criminal proceedings in absentia and the confiscation of property of illicit origin were held under the joint European Union and Council of Europe project “Support to the Justice Reform in Armenia”. In total, 90 specialists from...
Armenian equality body ready to respond to discrimination and hatred
A training programme on combating discrimination adapted to the staff needs of the Human Rights Defender's Office in Armenia, bolstered their capacities to respond to cases of discrimination and hatred in line with European standards, notably those developed by the European Commission against...
Empowering diversity through the inaugural session of the Public Council on National Minorities’ Rights in Armenia
The inaugural session of the Public Council on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons belonging to National Minorities (the Public Council), adjunct to the Human Rights Defender Office in Armenia, was held on 30 November 2023 in Yerevan. The event is perceived as a milestone,...
Supporting the launch of an awareness-raising initiative by the Armenian Ministry of Justice on the protection of whistleblowers
Financial support was provided to the Ministry of Justice of Armenia to launch an awareness raising initiative on the protection of whistleblowers. The Partnership for Good Governance project will work closely with the national authorities of the country, to support the implementation of several...
Mediation training programme advances skilled mediators in Armenia
The creation of a pool of highly skilled mediators is the aim of the mediation training programme organised for twenty prospective mediators. This is an initiative between the Council of Europe the Ministry of Justice in Armenia and the Arbitration and Mediation Centre of Armenia (AMCA). The...
Addressing hate speech issues for youngsters in Armenia
Teachers and youth workers from various regions of Armenia attended a training session that enabled exchanges of ideas on combating hate speech through human rights education. The training promoted Council of Europe tools destined to raise awareness among school children in Armenia on hate speech...
Combating hate speech through human rights education in Armenia
Two online training sessions on “Combating hate speech through human rights education” for educators and youth workers in Armenia, raised awareness on hate speech and on the importance of promoting a human rights education in their work, both in the formal and non-formal systems. The first online...
136th Plenary session of the Venice Commission: New opinions prepared under the Quick Response Mechanism
At its 136th plenary session (held on 6-7 October 2023), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others: Armenia: the joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the draft amendments to the Electoral Code and related legislation Republic of Moldova: the...
Young European Ambassadors in the forefront of the fight against hate speech
The new generation of the Young European Ambassadors continues to play a fundamental role in the fight against hate speech in the Western Balkan and the Eastern Partnership regions. In a series of online workshops, more than 50 Young Eurоpean Ambassadors completed the training programme on...
High-Level Conference on Prosecutorial Independence and Accountability Held in Yerevan
The Council of Europe in collaboration with the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Armenia organised a two-day high-level conference "Prosecutorial Independence in Upholding the Rule of Law". The aim of the conference was to facilitate a cohesive dialogue among main actors in the...
Round Table Discussion Explores Strategic Directions for Judicial and Legal Reforms in Armenia
A round table discussion that explored strategic directions of the Judicial and Legal Reforms in Armenia and the essential role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in driving the reform process, was held on 2-3 June. The round table's primary objective was to foster a more active involvement of...
The European Union and the Council of Europe to carry out joint projects for Armenia under the third phase of the Partnership for Good Governance (2023-2027)
New projects will be carried out in Armenia under the third phase of the EU/Council of Europe “Partnership for Good Governance (PGG)” programme in 2023-2027. The first Local Steering Committee meeting for these projects took place on Tuesday 23 May 2023, where the Delegation of the European Union...
Public discussions held under the framework of judicial reforms
Under the framework of ongoing judicial reforms, a series of public discussions related to the legislative amendments in respect to civil procedure, administrative procedure and criminal procedure legislations was organised by the joint EU/Council of Europe project “Support to the Justice Reform...
Improving financial investigations to better fight economic crime in Armenia
The Armenian authorities have set the fight against corruption and other economic crimes as a top national priority, and undertaken major legislative and institutional reforms in this direction. These include the establishment of a dedicated chain of Law enforcement and criminal justice...
Integrity Officers to support the application of Rules of Conduct by public servants in Armenia
Following the adoption of the Model Code of Conduct for Public Servants in Armenia in 2022, the Corruption Prevention Commission has moved on to actively promote its application by all public institutions of the country, with support from the Council of Europe. The steps undertaken for the...
Council of Europe concludes the four-year PGGII project on implementation of judicial reforms in Armenia
The final conference organised in Yerevan on February 21, marked the official completion of the Project "Implementation of the Judicial reforms in Armenia", implemented by the Council of Europe within the joint European Union and Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance Programme...
Judges and prosecutors in Armenia enhanced their knowledge on combating hate speech
Twenty-five judges and prosecutors from Armenia have successfully completed the online training course on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance’s General Policy Recommendation No.15 on Combating Hate Speech (GPR 15). The course, implemented from January to February 2023 consisted...
Armenian banks and payment institutions discuss risks related to virtual assets and how to address them
Representatives of the Central Bank of Armenia, including the Financial Monitoring Center of the Central Bank, and the private sector, in particular banks and payment institutions, participated in a workshop on “Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Risks related to Virtual Assets and the...
Eastern partnership countries discuss gender-related issues in the profession of lawyers
On 6 February an online event was organised to present the findings of the cross-country review of the impact of gender-related issues on the profession of lawyer and access to justice in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The event gathered 62 members of the Bar...
Manual on combating hate speech online supporting educators in Armenia
A “Manual on hate speech online for educators” in Armenian language was publicly presented in hybrid format, at the presence of representatives from the local schools, Yerevan municipality, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and representatives of Human Rights Defender’s office,...
An online course on combating hate speech for judges and prosecutors from Armenia was launched
The tutored online course on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) General Policy Recommendation (GPR) No. 15 on combating hate speech was launched, with the participation of 18 judges and prosecutors in Armenia. The course hosted by the Council of Europe’s HELP...
133rd plenary session of the Venice Commission: New opinions prepared under the Quick Response Mechanism adopted
At its 133rd plenary session (held on 16-17 December 2022), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others: the amicus curiae brief for the Constitutional Court of Armenia on certain questions related to the Law on Confiscation of Property of Illicit Origin; held an exchange...
Taking a Case to the European Court of Human Rights: Armenian version of the book will help the legal practitioners to make their voices heard in a well-substantiated manner
Successful litigation at the European Court of Human Rights is not an easy task and requires from legal professionals some fundamental knowledge about the peculiarities of the application to the Court. Publication of the Armenian version of the book Taking a Case to the European Court of Human...
Raising awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities in Armenia
On 14 December 2022 the regional EU/Council of Europe anti-discrimination project, part of the Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022, joined the Human Rights Defenders office of Republic of Armenia (HRDO), in a discussion focused on Combating discrimination based on disability and health...
Presentation of HELP platform on the occasion of National Day of Lawyers in Armenia
On 8 December 2022, to mark the National Lawyers’ Day celebrated on 6 December in Armenia, the regional project on "Strengthening the Profession of Lawyer in Line with European Standards", in cooperation with Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme and the Chamber of...
Website of the Court of Cassation of Armenia launched and available online for public
A website of the Armenian Court of Cassation was developed with the support of the Council of Europe and is available online since November 2022. The Council of Europe has been working closely with the Armenian judiciary to facilitate the effective implementation of European human rights...
Discussion on the Opinion No. 24 (2021) of the CCJE on the evolution of the Councils for the Judiciary and their role in independent and impartial judicial systems
To highlight the competence, tasks, organisation and composition as well as resources at the disposal of the Councils for the Judiciary the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) adopted landmark Opinion No. 24 in 2021. The Opinion discusses the legitimacy and accountability of the...
Workshop on risk-based regulation and supervision of the virtual assets sector in Armenia
Representatives of the Central Bank of Armenia, including the Financial Monitoring Centre within the Central Bank, participated in a workshop on risk-based Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regulation and supervision in the area of virtual assets, organised in...
Judiciary of the Court of Cassation of Armenia continue enhancing their knowledge and skills on the new criminal legislation of the country
Judges, experts and judicial assistants of the Court of Cassation of Armenia participated in the two-day workshop on “Selected issues of new Criminal (CC) and Criminal Procedure Codes (CPC) of Armenia” organised on 5-6 October in Yerevan. The objective of the workshop was to introduce the...
Discussion held on the review of the codes of conducts for lawyers
On 23 September an online event was organised to present the findings of the cross-country review of the codes of conducts of lawyers in Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The event gathered the members of the Bar Associations, judges, and other national authorities’...
Investigators and prosecutors of Armenia enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal and procedural legislation of Armenia
In co-operation with the Justice Academy in Yerevan, four two-day training seminars on “Selected issues of the new Criminal (CC) and Criminal Procedure (CPC) Codes of Armenia” were organised for investigators and prosecutors of Armenia in July and August 2022. The objective of the training...
Staff of the Representative of the Republic of Armenia before the European Court of Human Right enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal legislation of Armenia
During the two-day training seminar on “Selected issues of new Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Armenia,” 16 participants had the opportunity to acquire new skills on judicial review, peculiarities of conducting certain types of proceedings, judicial safeguards of pre-trial proceedings,...
Promoting equality in Armenia through cooperation with civil society organisations
The joint project "Strengthening the access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries," awarded two grants to Armenian NGOs in 2021, related specifically to support victims of discrimination in...
Summer School on Arbitration
Students from various universities of Armenia had the opportunity to get first-hand insights into the world of arbitration during the 4-day Summer School on Arbitration co-organised by the Council of Europe and Arbitrators’ Association of Armenia. Taught by the leading arbitration practitioners...
Model rules of conduct for all Armenian public servants adopted - implementation by institutions to follow
The Council of Europe and the Corruption Prevention Commission of the Republic of Armenia jointly organised a “High-level Conference on the Model Code of Conduct for Public Servants in Armenia” on 4th July in Yerevann, Armenia. The conference concludes and complements the process of development...
Guides on the new Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Armenia ready for the national legal professionals as the new legislation enters into force
The Council of Europe has been working closely with the Armenian authorities on the criminal justice reform through legislative, methodological, and capacity-building support since 2015. Based on the legal expertise of the Council of Europe, conceptually new Criminal Code and Code of Criminal...
Ensuring high-quality trainings on the new criminal justice legislation in Armenia by equipping trainers locally
15 national trainers got equipped with tools and techniques on adult learning methodology. The objective is to ensure high quality trainings on the new criminal justice legislation, as well as to guide trainers to link the newly acquired knowledge with their practical experience and further...
Expert discussion on the right of access to court for persons being declared as legally incapable as a result of mental disorder
On 17 and 18 June 2022, the President and the judges of the Court of Cassation, Supreme Judicial Council member, Representation of Armenia on International Legal matters, representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Human Rights Defender’s office, the Ministry of Health, the Guardianship and...
“We are equal but different”: raising awareness on rights of people with disabilities
The local NGO “Equal Rights Equal Opportunities” (EREO) organised in Vanadzor, Armenia, a Community Forum concluding the results of the action “Challenging stereotypes against disabled people through empowerment in Armenia” being implemented under joint European Union/Council of Europe project...
High-level Conference “The Judiciary as a Guardian of Democracy”
The conference co-organised with the Constitutional Court of Armenia on 8-9 June in Yerevan, served as a platform to facilitate the dialogue between the Constitutional Court, courts of general jurisdiction and other branches of power, alongside with the international community and civil society....
Human rights training methodology for legal professionals now available in Armenian
The HELP Methodology Guidebook on Human Rights Training for Legal Professionals is now available in Armenian. It provides a step-by-step analysis of the various stages of the methodology and describes the roles of the HELP Secretariat, the network members and the tutors in the training process....
Investigators of Armenia enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal and procedural legislation of Armenia
Five two-day training seminars on "Selected issues of new Criminal (CC) and Criminal Procedure Codes (CPC) of Armenia" were organised for 125 investigators of Armenia from April till June 2022 in the Justice Academy in Yerevan. During the first half of the seminars, the participants learnt about...
Addressing hate speech through improving data collection in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership Region
The joint network of equality bodies working in the field of combatting hate speech delivered the first of the four planned workshops on “Addressing hate speech through improving data collection”. The activity aimed at ensuring a practical exchange between equality bodies/Ombudsperson...
Legal professionals in Armenia trained on Ethics for Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers
A group of 23 legal professionals are trained in co-operation with the Justice Academy of Armenia on ethics for Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers. The Council of Europe HELP online course used for the training has been translated into Armenian, adapted to the Armenian context and is piloted in the...
Judiciary of the Court of Cassation of Armenia enhance their knowledge and skills on the new criminal procedure legislation of the country
Judges, experts and judicial assistants of the Court of Cassation of Armenia participated in the one-day workshop “Selected issues of new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia” organised on 28 April in Yerevan. During the first two sessions, the participants discussed evidence, proving as well as...
Round table discussion on the draft Judicial and Legal Reforms Strategy for 2022-2026 of the Republic of Armenia with the participation of the judiciary
Members of the Supreme Judicial Council, Presidents and judges from different court instances both from Yerevan and regions of Armenia, and the Ministry of Justice representatives discussed the draft Judicial and Legal Reforms Strategy for 2022-2026 of the Republic of Armenia.The event was...
Round table discussion on the Decision SJC-65-VO-165 (30 August 2021) of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Armenia ''On prescribing benchmark periods of the average duration of case examination as per individual types and complexity of cases''
Members of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Armenia, Presidents and judges from different court instances both from Yerevan and regions of Armenia, and the Ministry of Justice representatives discussed the Decision SJC-65-VO-165 (30 August 2021) of the Supreme Judicial Council of...
Judges enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal procedural legislation of Armenia
Four one-day seminars on “Selected issues of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) of Armenia” were organised for 62 judges of Armenia in March and April 2022 in the Justice Academy in Yerevan. The judges improved their knowledge and skills on topics such as evidence, proving, arrest and measures of...
Round table discussion on the application of mediation in Armenia
Mediators, lawyers and judges from different court instances and Ministry of Justice representatives, discussed the Mediation Development Toolkit (also available in Armenian) presented by a Council of Europe expert on 29 March 2022. The event allowed an exchange on the current challenges in the...
The Council of Europe and the European Union Delegation presented the state of implementation of the joint projects in Armenia in 2021 and the PGG activities planned for 2022
The European Union and Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022 (the PGG) held the third Steering Committee meeting for Armenia on Friday 25 March in online format. The aim of the meeting was to present the state of implementation and the results of the...
Armenia: Joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe
The Venice Commission adopted a joint opinion on the draft laws on making amendments to the Constitutional Law on the Judicial Code and to the Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of Armenia, prepared together with the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI) of the...
Armenian team of students participates in the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court with our project's support
From 28 February to 2 March, a team of Armenian students participated in the 14th edition of the Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court 2022 online competition. This is an educational exercise that promotes the peaceful resolution of international disputes in accordance with international...
Speak peace, be the change!
In English With Romanian subtitles "Speak peace! Hate speech is not an option" explores the concepts of hate speech, its manifestations, its risks for human rights and democracies. This booklet was developed for any person, civil society organisations and others who feel the need to...
Prosecutors of Armenia enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal and procedural legislation of Armenia
Through two seminars on “Selected issues of new Criminal (CC) and Criminal Procedure Codes (CPC) of Armenia” organised for two groups of 48 prosecutors of Armenia on 25-26 January and on 22-23 February in the Justice Academy in Yerevan, our joint European Union-Council of Europe project enhanced...
Armenian stakeholders discuss the role of corruption prevention and Codes of Conduct
The Council of Europe and the Corruption Prevention Commission of the Republic of Armenia jointly organised a Conference on Integrity, Corruption Prevention and Codes of Conduct, in the framework of the EU/Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance Project “Strengthening institutional...
Joint event dedicated to the launch of the new website of the Constitutional Court of Armenia
On 4 February 2022, a joint event dedicated to the launch of the new website of the Constitutional Court and the 26th Anniversary of Founding of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia was organised by the Constitutional Court and the European Union-Council of Europe Partnership for...
Advancing the counternarratives on hate speech with Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans equality bodies
The representatives from the network of equality bodies engaged on combating hate speech in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans region held their conclusive meeting online on 17 January 2022. They tackled the work and the key results during a year long of modules to improve the response...
Awareness-raising videos on combating hate speech in Armenia: The role of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia
This is one of the three awareness-raising videos prepared in co-operation with the with the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. These awareness-raising videos on combating hate speech have been prepared in the framework of the project “Strengthening the access to justice through non-judiciary...
Three awareness-raising videos on combating hate speech go online in Armenia
In co-operation with the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, three awareness-raising videos on combating hate speech have been prepared. The videos will be disseminated via social media and television channels in the country. Democratic societies are built on the respect of human rights and human...
Promoting Yezidi girls’ and women’s right to education in Armenia
Yezidi girls and women constitute the most vulnerable segment of this group in Armenia and usually they do not continue education after completing secondary education. The NGO Armavir Development Center from Armenia, based in the city of Armavir where a large Yazidi community lives, is...
Challenging stereotypes against disabled people through empowerment in Armenia
Over the period of December 2021- April 2022, the NGO Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities (EREO) from Armenia will run a project with the aim of combating discrimination against people with disabilities by promoting the rights and ensuring their inclusion in the Lori region of Armenia. This project...
Third Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Project "Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia"
On 10 December 2021 the third meeting of the Steering Committee of the Project "Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia" was held online. The Project aims at promoting judicial independence, the effectiveness of legal...
Round Table Discussion on the Review of the Civil Procedural Code of Armenia
On 9 December 2021 the Round Table Discussion on the Review of the Civil Procedural Code of Armenia took place in the framework of the project ''Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia,'' funded by the European Union and the...
Staff of the Representative of the Republic of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal procedure legislation of Armenia
A one-day workshop on “Selected issues of new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia” was organised for 18 staff members of the Representative of the Republic of Armenia before the ECtHR on 7 December, in Yerevan. New regulations, provisions and procedural safeguards in the context of Articles 5, 6...
Judges of Armenia enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal procedure legislation of Armenia
A two-day seminar on “Selected issues of new Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) of Armenia” was organised for judges of Armenia on 25-26 November in the Justice Academy, in Yerevan. Certain types of proceedings, evidence and proving as prescribed in the new CPC were presented to the judges and...
Judiciary of the Court of Cassation of Armenia enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal and procedural legislation
Two workshops on selected issues of new Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Armenia were organised for judges, experts and judicial assistants of the Court of Cassation of Armenia at Mariotte Hotel in Yerevan. During the first workshop, the participants discussed the operation of the...
Judges and prosecutors in Armenia get trained on combating hate speech
On 2 November 2021, prosecutors and judges from Armenia started a training course on hate speech, in co-operation with the Justice Academy of the Republic of Armenia. The training course includes the translated version of the Council of Europe’s HELP course on hate speech, as well as tutored...
Online Presentation of the Report on ''Gender Impact Assessment: the Judicial Code of Armenia and its Derivative Legal Acts”
On 29 October 2021 the online presentation of the report on ''Gender Impact Assessment: the Judicial Code of Armenia and its Derivative Legal Acts” took place in the framework of the project ''Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in...
Round table discussion on the challenges related to the practical application of the Civil Procedural Code of Armenia
On 19 October 2021 the round table discussion on the challenges related to the practical application of the Civil Procedural Code of Armenia took place in the framework of the project ''Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia,''...
Trainers of the Justice Academy, School of Advocates and Educational Complex of the Police enhanced their knowledge and skills on the new criminal legislation of Armenia
First three-day training of trainers (ToT) on “Selected issues of new Criminal Code of Armenia” was organised for trainers on 1-3 October and second three-day ToT on “Selected issues of new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia” was organised for another group of trainers on 8-10 October in...
Gender mainstreaming, progressing towards the Partnership for Good Governance II goals
Gender equality is an important goal for the Council of Europe and an indispensable part of human rights. It is also an essential element in the functioning of democracy and the rule of law. To further gender equality, the Council of Europe and the Partnership for Good Governance II (PGG)...
Discussion of the Draft Law on Mediation
On 17 September 2021 the discussion of the draft law on mediation took place in the framework of the project "Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia." One of the Project’s components is focused on the improvement of the...
Supporting equality bodies from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions to address hate speech
The European Union and the Council of Europe, through their partnership continue their work to reinforce the capacities of equality bodies from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions to address hate speech. On 13 September, a new e-learning tool was launched and a pilot group of...
Call for proposals: Grants for support to civil society organisations for increasing access to justice for victims of discrimination in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine
Under the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance, and its regional project "Strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Eastern Partnership...
Expert discussions on the procedural safeguards and protection against undue interferences for lawyers in Armenia
The expert discussions were organised prior to the development of a country-specific action plan for Armenia. They served as a platform for discussing the feasibility of the introduced recommendations, the ways of their transformation into the action plan and their practical realisation with the...
Leadership training for women-judges
On 22 July 2021 the online training on Leadership skills development for women-judges took place within in the framework project ''Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia.'' One of the Project’s components is focused on...
Legal expertise service of the Armenian Cassation Court enhanced their skills on specific aspects of the application of the Convention standards
The seminar "Specific aspects of the application of Articles 5 and 6 of ECHR at the national level" was organised for the legal expertise service and judicial assistants of the Court of Cassation of Armenia. Participants improved their knowledge and skills: In the right to hear witnesses in...
A new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia adopted in line with Council of Europe expertise
On 30 June 2021, the Armenian Parliament adopted a new Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). The new criminal procedure legislation is a result of several years of complex legislative work of the Armenian authorities. The Council of Europe supported the preparation of the new Code with legal expertise....
A Model Code of Conduct for all Public Servants in Armenia
The European Union-Council of Europe joint project, continues to support Armenian authorities in their efforts to establish solid corruption prevention systems in the country. The Corruption Prevention Commission of Armenia (CPC) is moving forward with the development of formalised general rules...
Awareness-raising videos on combating hate speech in Armenia: Discrimination
This is one of the three awareness-raising videos prepared in co-operation with the with the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. These awareness-raising videos on combating hate speech have been prepared in the framework of the project “Strengthening the access to justice through non-judiciary...
Online discussion of the Opinion of the methodology and the procedure for the performance evaluation of Court of Cassation/Supreme Court judges in Armenia
On 11 June 2021 the online discussion of the Opinion of the methodology and the procedure for the performance evaluation of Court of Cassation/Supreme Court judges in Armenia took place in the framework of the project "Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and...
Online discussion of the study ''Gender equality in the judiciary of Armenia: challenges and opportunities''
An online discussion of the study ''Gender equality in the judiciary of Armenia: challenges and opportunities,'' took place on 25 May in the framework of the Partnership for Good Governance II (2019-2022) project ''Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of...
Training for public officials on combating hate speech in Armenia
On 24 and 25 May 2021, the regional project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crime in the Eastern Partnership” organised two training sessions offline, for 30 civil servants working in the relevant ministries and institutions, and in the...
Online discussion of the Comparative analysis on certain aspects of arbitration in Armenia
On 5 May 2021 the online discussion of the Comparative analysis on certain aspects of arbitration in Armenia took place in the framework of the project “Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia.” One of the Project components is...
Reforms and measures taken to protect people with disabilities against discrimination not enough according to report by UNISON NGO in Armenia
UNISON, the Armenian non-governmental organisation (NGO), conducted a survey on the topic "Discrimination on the Ground of Disability in Armenia". The survey respondents were 120 people with different types of disabilities. In this regard, raising the awareness of the general population about the...
Judges and prosecutors in Armenia getting trained on hate speech
Judges and prosecutors from Armenia started in April a training course on hate speech, organised by the project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crime in the Eastern Partnership countries” in co-operation with the Justice Academy of the Republic...
Presentation of the Handbook on improving the quality of judicial decisions
On 27 April 2021 the online presentation of the Handbook on improving the quality of judicial decisions developed by the Council of Europe international consultant Oleksandr Ovchynnykov, took place in the framework of the project ''Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and...
Electoral legislation amendments in Armenia are welcomed, but further improvements needed
The Council of Europe’s body of constitutional legal experts, the Venice Commission, and the OSCE/ODIHR have published an urgent joint opinion today on amendments to the Electoral Code and related legislation of Armenia. Having examined the conformity of the procedure of their development, as...
Interactive online tool of the checklist on gender mainstreaming law school’s curricula available now in seven languages
There is an urgent need for tools and support networks on gender mainstreaming academia, particularly in view of the impact of Covid-19 on women’s rights and the rising anti-gender sentiments and opposition in several European countries. We have therefore developed an interactive tool of the...
Join our online peer discussions for practitioners working on equality issues in the Eastern Partnership countries
Equality and non-discrimination are very relevant topics for the Eastern Partnership countries, and the possibility to have regional exchange regarding problems, solutions and promising practices is an opportunity for the professional development and getting motivation for further work. Our...
Second meeting of the Steering Committee of the Project "Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia"
On 14 April 2021 the second meeting of the Steering Committee of the Project "Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia" was held online. The Project is funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the...
Raising awareness in Armenia among disabled people about protection against discrimination
On 26 March, 2 and 13 April, the non-profit organisation (NGO) Unison conducted three seminars for NGOs, women with disabilities and people with disabilities within the framework of the project "Combating Discrimination on the Grounds of Disability in Armenia". This project is supported through a...
Legal professionals in Armenia trained on procedural safeguards in criminal proceedings and victims’ rights
The first group of judges, prosecutors and investigators have successfully completed a distance-learning course on procedural safeguards in criminal proceedings and victims’ rights. This course has been translated and adapted to the Armenian legal context and launched in co-operation with the...
Online discussion of the assessment of the methodology and the procedure for the performance evaluation of judges
On 30 March 2021 an online discussion on the ''Assessment of the methodology and the procedure for the performance evaluation of judges” took place in the framework of the project ''Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia,''...
Using a human right-based language in responding to hate speech: a challenge for equality bodies across Europe
Equality bodies need to make strong efforts in nowadays’ Europe to respond to hate speech in the framework of their mandate. This is particularly important considering the increased use of social media, forms and levels of hatred present on the social media, as well as in the public space. The...
Empowering transgender community in Armenia to facilitate their access to justice
The transgender community faces marginalization in Armenia and is often exposed to discrimination, hate speech and hate crime, according to the data available and personal reporting in the country. The Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, organised the training course "Human Rights in Touch with...
Improving the enforcement system in Azerbaijan
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) has developed two important documents in the framework of its project to support the improvement of the enforcement system in Azerbaijan. The documents were drafted by the experts Mathieu Chardon and Jos Uitdehaag, based on the results...
Speak peace, be the change!
A new publication on hate speech, produced within co-operation programmes of the European Union and the Council of Europe, is now available online. "Speak peace! Hate speech is not an option" explores the concepts of hate speech, its manifestations, its risks for human rights and democracies....
Improving Armenian capacities to use international cooperation in criminal matters
The Council of Europe continues supporting Armenian authorities in developing procedures and capacities related to the investigation of corruption crimes by using international cooperation means. On 11-12 March 2021, the Project on “Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent...
Integrity checking: Armenian experience, achievements, and prospects for improvement
The project on “Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia” continues supporting the Corruption Prevention Commission in developing and improving its methodology for integrity checking of judicial nominees. The workshop on “Integrity checking: Armenian...
Online discussion of the post-adoption review of the Judicial Code of Armenia
On 26 February 2021 an online discussion of the ''Post-adoption review of the Judicial Code of Armenia'' took place in the framework of the project '“Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia” (the Project). One of the Project...
Training Programme for Judges and Assistants of Judges on Legal drafting of the Judicial Decisions
Legal drafting of judicial decisions was the key topic of a two-day training organised on 23-24 February 2021, in the framework of the project “Support to the judicial reform – enhancing the independence and professionalism of the judiciary in Armenia”. Seventeen national judges and assistants of...
Empowering the transgender community to facilitate their access to justice in Armenia
The RighT Side Human Rights Defender NGO in Armenia is implementing until July 2021 a national project aims at empowering the transgender community to facilitate their access to justice in Armenia, with the support of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good...
Combating discrimination on the grounds of disability in Armenia
UNISON NGO Armenia is implementing a national project on combating discrimination affecting disabled persons in Armenia, under all its forms, with the support of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance, and its regional project “Strengthening access to...
Networking and knowledge depository platform for lawyers from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine now available
A new platform for networking, exchanging information and best practices, accessing key documents, including pieces of legislation and research is now accessible to lawyers, bar associations and legal professional in the Eastern Partnership countries. The platform was presented at the second...
The Council of Europe and the European Union Delegation present the state of implementation of the joint projects in Armenia in 2020 and the PGG activities planned for 2021
The European Union and Council of Europe joint programme on Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) 2019-2021 held its second Steering Committee meeting for Armenia on Monday 8 February 2021 in an online format. The aim of the meeting was to present the state of implementation and the results of...
Towards the adoption of a Code of Conduct for deputies of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
The Project on “Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia” continues to support the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in developing a Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament. This assistance addresses both national priorities in the Republic of...
The Council of Europe and the European Union share the proposals for future co-operation priorities in the six Eastern Partnership countries submitted through the Suggestion Box
The online event “Improving the lives of citizens through better governance” of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme on Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) 2019-2021, held on 5-7 October 2020, allowed speakers and participants to exchange about priorities in the region under...
Awareness raising activities in Armenia on hate speech
A series of online educational activities “Combating hate speech through human rights education” will take place from February to May 2021, online, for beneficiaries in Armenia. This includes a five-day online training course for teachers of social science and youth workers of human rights...
Call for proposals: Grants for support to civil society organisations for combating discrimination in Armenia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine
Under the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance, and its regional project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judicial redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Eastern Partnership...
Even in difficult times, Partnership for Good Governance programme keeps delivering
A PGG online event to reflect on the mid-term results of the second phase of the European Union and Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance (PGG), launched in 2019 for the Eastern Partnership region, took place from 5-7 October 2020 under the title ‘Improving the lives of citizens...
5-7 October: high-level online event on midterm results of the EU/CoE Partnership for Good Governance for Eastern Partnership countries
A welcome address by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe and by Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement will be presented at 9:00 CEST on 5 October. It will be followed at 10:30 CEST on 5 October by a live session “Eastern Partnership:...
Combating Discrimination in Eastern Partnership Region: expert talks and good practices presentations are now available online
The Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) programme, financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe, launches a series of expert talks and good practices presentations on combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in Eastern...
Three Training of Trainers sessions organised in Armenia
Three-day training of trainers (ToT) on “Techniques for drafting judgments and decisions”, “Current issues of the cross-examination (confrontation)” and “Interviewing techniques and communications management” was organised in co-operation with the Justice Academy on 25-27 September in...
Council of Europe tools on Women’s Access to Justice now available in new languages
Within the Partnership for Good Governance II, the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe, the regional project on Women's Access to Justice: delivering on the Istanbul Convention and other European gender equality standards in the Eastern Partnership countries has...
Webinar: The inclusion of disabled people and fighting discrimination
On 6 August, a webinar will be organised on “The inclusion of disabled people and fighting discrimination” between 3-5 pm CET. The webinar will be an opportunity to learn more about the situation of disabled people and their experiences of discrimination. Good practices will be shared on...
Inter-ministerial webinars on measuring Women’s Access to Justice in the Eastern Partnership countries
“We need to normalize women’s access to justice, as these standards need to permeate not only gender related issues and institutions but the entire justice system and state apparatus” Shazia Choudhry, professor of law, Queen Mary University of London On 29 and 30 June 2020, the Council of...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Project “Implementation of judicial reforms in Armenia” (component II) launched in Armenia
On 25 April, the Council of Europe launched Component 2 of the Project “Implementation of judicial reforms” in the sphere of criminal justice funded through the European Union and Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance (PGG II). This Project is a part of the joint efforts of the...
Council of Europe and European Union presented new programme under Partnership for Good Governance for 2019-2021
On 25 April 2019, the Council of Europe and European Union presented to media and beneficiaries the 2nd phase of the Partnership for Good Governance programme to be implemented in 2019-2021 in Eastern Partnership countries, including country-specific projects for Armenia. The two projects that...
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