Înapoi Round Table Discussion Explores Strategic Directions for Judicial and Legal Reforms in Armenia

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 civil society organisations by granting them a prominent role and emphasizing their vital contribution in monitoring the strategy's implementation.

Organised by the EU/Council of Europe joint project ‘’Support to the Justice Reform in Armenia’’, the Ministry of Justice and the Centre for Legislation Development Foundation, the dynamic discussion involved approximately 50 representatives, including civil society. The round table focused on various topics related to the progress achieved in the second semester of 2022 and the first semester of 2023, as well as future endeavours outlined in the Strategy for Judicial and Legal Reforms in the Republic of Armenia.

The discussions revolved around addressing the issue of court backlog, including exploring potential innovative solutions such as delegating small claims to notaries. Furthermore, civil society representatives actively participated and expressed their perspectives on implementing integrity checks for judges, prosecutors, and investigators, with the aim of promoting accountability and transparency.

By highlighting the participation of civil society and underscoring the importance of their contributions, this dialogue paves the way for an impactful implementation of the Judicial and Legal Reforms strategy.

‘’Engaging in ongoing dialogues between governmental bodies responsible for policy-making and representatives of civil society is crucial. Nevertheless, it is vital for these discussions to be productive, ensuring that the insights and suggestions put forth by civil society representatives are acknowledged, thoroughly deliberated, accepted, and incorporated into the development of policy documents and legal acts," mentioned Araks Melkonyan, President of Protection Without Rights NGO.

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 "Support to the Justice Reform in Armenia".

Armenia 2-3 June 2023
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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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