Improved awareness of European standards on equality and non-discrimination among Belarusian democratic forces and civil society remains essential for strengthening human rights and inclusion. In pursuit of this goal, their representatives met in Vilnius for a workshop aimed at building alliances, advancing the practical use of newly developed anti-discrimination standards and tools, and promoting European best practices.
Following up on the high-level conference held in Warsaw on 8 April, the workshop provided a dedicated space for civil society actors to familiarise themselves with key policy tools, including the Statement of Principles on Non-Discrimination adopted by the Coordination Council of Belarus and the Concept Law on Equality and Non-discrimination. Discussions focused on how these frameworks can inform advocacy, community work and public communication in exile. The experts presented the online training courses developed in Belarusian language by the Council of Europe, which are publicly available on anti-discrimination principles, equality bodies and anti-racism.
Through participatory group discussions, participants worked to strengthen trust across different segments of Belarusian civil society, identifying common challenges, existing gaps in inclusion, barriers to cooperation and priority needs for future action. Particular attention was given to addressing hate speech and discrimination through human rights-based communication, using Council of Europe tools and methodologies.
The workshop also highlighted the specific challenges faced by groups most exposed to discrimination and hatred, including the Belarusian LGBTI community. Participants noted the importance of creating safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue and cooperation. They outlined concrete priorities for follow-up, including targeted capacity-building, strengthened networking and the development of effective counter-narratives to combat intolerance. The event confirmed the key role of civil society in advancing equality and non-discrimination, and in supporting a future democratic Belarus grounded in European values.
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, in the framework of the project “Activity on co-operation with Belarusian democratic forces and civil society in the field of anti-discrimination - phase II”.
