Back 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 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 long-standing co-operation between Armenia, the European Union and the Council of Europe and provides us with a good opportunity to present the results of our work in 2023, exchange opinions, identify challenges and find ways to address them”, said the Director of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe, Claus Neukirch.

“It is encouraging to see the national stakeholders and civil society organisations together to showcase the progress of the Partnership for Good Governance projects, demonstrate the synergy in the fields of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Success stories from the Partnership for Good Governance previous phases serve as proof of co-operation of the European Union and the Council of Europe”, highlighted the Director of the Europe Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Samvel Mkrtchyan.

“Human rights are one of the cornerstones of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance. The programme is in relevance with the current reform agenda of Armenia. And the European Union will continue supporting the reforms in the fields of judiciary, the rule of law and democracy in Armenia”, said the Head of Cooperation Section of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia Frank Hess.

Three country-specific projects are implemented in Armenia, with a total budget of 2.36 million euros, co-funded by the EU and the Council of Europe. They build on the results of the previous phases of the programme and aim at assisting Armenian authorities in carrying out judicial reforms in the country, enhancing national capacities to effectively prevent and fight economic crime and promoting equality non-discrimination.

At regional level, three projects are implemented in Eastern Partnership countries, including Armenia, aimed at fighting economic crime, promoting equality and non-discrimination and advancing women’s access to justice. Their purpose is to encourage networking, provide a platform for sharing experiences and good practices, and, where relevant, complement country-specific projects.

 Read the news in Armenian: Եվրոպական միությունը և Եվրոպայի խորհուրդը շարունակում են աջակցել Հայաստանի իշխանություններին բարեփումների առաջնահերթություններն իրականացնելու գործում

 Find out more about the work of the Partnership for Good Governance in Armenia

 Find out more about the Partnership for Good Governance programme

 Visit the website of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan

This event is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Yerevan, Armenia 10 April 2024
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Strasbourg, France Strasbourg, 1-2 July 2024
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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”.

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