News
Case law on violence against women and domestic violence presented at the Baku State University
On 20 May 2022, the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Faculty of Law of Baku State University, organised an event to raise awareness of the European Court of Human Rights (the European Court) case law on violence against women and domestic violence at the Faculty of Law of the Baku...
Awareness-raising event on the role of national Parliaments in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Azerbaijan
On 19 May 2022, the Council of Europe in co-operation with the State Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs (SCFWCA) organised an awareness-raising event on the role of national Parliaments in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Baku, Azerbaijan. The...
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...
Tulip Press Award 2022 for articles created under EU/CoE awareness-raising campaign on hate speech
The Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) and the Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands announced the results of the competition Tulip Press Awards, 2022 edition, to highlight the efforts of journalists who address human rights issues in their materials. In its second edition,...
Contributing to the efforts of Georgian authorities to implement recommendations on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism through trainings for accountants and auditors
In co-operation with the Service for Accounting, Reporting and Auditing Supervision of Georgia (SARAS), two online trainings on “Anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance” on 27 and 29 April 2022. The trainings contributed to the efforts by Georgian authorities...
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...
Judges and prosecutors from the Republic of Moldova enhanced their knowledge on remedies in cases of discrimination
25 judges and prosecutors strengthened their knowledge on national and international remedies in cases of discrimination through an online training. The event held on 27 April, focused on the international legal framework and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights pertaining to...
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...
Priorities and challenges for the asset declaration regime in Georgia identified with the support of our anti-corruption project in the country
The management team of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), under the guidance of the project “Enhancing the systems of prevention and combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in Georgia,” discussed during a workshop the effective implementation of the asset declaration regime...
Public officials of Kakheti region trained to combat corruption
In cooperation with the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), we organised on April 14-15 an awareness-raising training on “Fighting Corruption” for municipal public officials from the Region of Kakheti, in Georgia. The leading trainers of the sessions were staff of the SSG’s Anti-corruption...
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...
Testimonial of Nikoloz Chinkorashvili from Local Steering Commitee meeting in Georgia
Testimonial of Nikoloz Chinkorashvili, Unit of European Integration and cooperation with International Organization, General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, from Local Steering Commitee meeting in Georgia
Ambassador Meglena Kuneva, Head of Delegation of the EU to the Council of Europe, speaks about the PGG II
Ambassador Meglena Kuneva, Head of Delegation of the EU to the Council of Europe, speaks about the Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022 (the PGG)
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...
Judicial staff in the Republic of Moldova enhanced their knowledge on remedies in cases of discrimination
98 employees of the judicial system in the country, strengthened their knowledge on national and international remedies in cases of discrimination through an online training. The event held on 16 March, focused on the international legal framework and the case law of the European Court of Human...
Presentation of the outcomes of the consultations to define the indicators and track records able to demonstrate the effect of judicial reforms in Azerbaijan
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) organised a presentation of the Report “Consultations to define the indicators and track records able to demonstrate the effect of judicial reforms in Azerbaijan”. This report which was prepared by two CEPEJ experts, Nino Bakakuri,...
National stakeholders discuss results and next actions of anti-money laundering and asset recovery project in Azerbaijan
24 representatives from 16 national authorities took part in the third Steering Committee meeting of the joint European Union and Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022 project on strengthening anti-money laundering and asset recovery in Azerbaijan. The meeting allowed to...
The Council of Europe and the European Union Delegation presented the state of implementation of the joint projects in Georgia in 2021 and PGG activities planned for 2022
The European Union and Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022 (PGG) held the third Steering Committee meeting for Georgia on Friday 11 March in online format. The aim of the meeting was to present the state of implementation and the results of the programme...
The brochure “Sexism: See it. Name it. Stop it.” now available in Azerbaijani
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, a new brochure on the Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)1 on preventing and combating sexism is available now in Azerbaijani. This brochure explains the recommendation and its aims, defines sexism, whilst showcasing its...
Webinars on the Istanbul Convention in Azerbaijan: what does it really say?
A series of webinars dedicated to specific articles of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, were organised in 2021 by our project in Azerbaijan. The webinars aimed to increase knowledge and...
The Council of Europe and the European Union Delegation presented the state of implementation of the joint projects in the Republic of Moldova in 2021 and PGG activities planned for 2022
The European Union and Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance II 2019-2022 (PGG) held the third Steering Committee meeting for the Republic of Moldova on Tuesday 3 March in online format. The aim of the meeting was to present the state of implementation and the results...
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...
The Council of Europe and the European Union Delegation present the state of implementation of the joint projects in Azerbaijan in 2021 and the PGG activities planned for 2022
The European Union and Council of Europe joint programme on Partnership for Good Governance (PGG) 2019-2022 held the third Steering Committee meeting for Azerbaijan on Friday 25 February in online format. The aim of the meeting was to present the state of implementation and the results of the...
Myths and facts about the Istanbul Convention: new explanatory video in Azerbaijani
Many misconceptions exist on what the Istanbul Convention requires from states and what it means in practice for citizens. A short video has been produced in English and Azerbaijani explaining in an understandable manner what the Istanbul Convention really says. On 11 May 2021, we celebrated the...
Web article on problems encountered by foreigners
A new storytelling article tackling hate speech, incitement to discrimination or other forms of intolerance against immigrants living in the Republic of Moldova, has been published online. This is the sixth from a series of web articles developed by the journalistic platform "Oameni și...
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...
Call for tender - Consultancy services in the field of equality, non-discrimination, and adult training methodology
The Council of Europe is launching the international public call for tenders for the procurement of international consultancy services to be provided within the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the capacities of the justice sector actors to deliver justice in line with European standards,...
Presentation of the report on remote Court Hearings in Criminal Cases in Georgia
On 10 February 2022, the Report "Remote Court Hearings in Criminal Cases in Georgia" prepared by João Arsénio de Oliveira, expert of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and chairman of the CEPEJ Working group on quality of Justice, was presented to justice professionals,...
CEPEJ contributes to improve the communication policy of courts in the Republic of Moldova
Further to an assessment of the Communication Strategy of the Superior Council of Magistracy and of the Guide for the judiciary on relations with mass-media by international and national experts, a Working Group was created and met on 9 February 2022 to improve the regulations on communication...
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...
Competition on courts’ performance in the Republic of Moldova launched with the support of CEPEJ
A competition aiming at discovering and highlighting innovative and efficient practices concerning the functioning of justice, judicial procedures or the organisation of courts is to be conducted for the first time in Moldova in 2022. It is expected to encourage the proactive management,...
Law enforcement, judiciary, financial intelligence and other authorities enhance their capacities in asset investigation, seizure and confiscation
Following up on the extensive assessment of the existing legal and institutional framework for asset recovery in Azerbaijan previously conducted by the Project, the Council of Europe organised a three-day scenario-based training course to enhance the capacities of 35 representatives of the...
Web article on problems encountered by people with disabilities
A new storytelling article tackling hate speech and discrimination against persons with disabilities in the Republic of Moldova, is now available online. This is the fifth from a series of six web articles developed by the journalistic platform "Oameni și Kilometri", in the framework of the...
Law enforcement agencies exposed to the best practices for the efficient investigation and prosecution of terrorist financing
This two-day training on “Investigation and Prosecution of Terrorist Financing Cases” was organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the State Security Service of Georgia. The activity, delivered in “hybrid” format with the online contribution of international Council of Europe...
Representatives of the Equality Council enhance their knowledge and skills on sanctions systems in cases of discrimination
Through a workshop, held online on 17 January, employees of the Equality Council enhanced their knowledge and skills on sanction systems in cases of discrimination. During the session, sanctions and recommendations in discrimination cases issued by equality bodies in the EU, were discussed. This...
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...
Launch of the report “Systemic mapping of national responses to hate speech in Ukraine”
What is the impact of hate speech on the society? What challenges does it pose and how can they be effectively addressed? What means of redress, tools and actions are available to victims in Ukraine? What is the role played by different state and civil society actors in addressing hate speech?...
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...
Supervisory capacities of the National Bank of Ukraine on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing improved through our training sessions
A training on supervisory techniques to assess the effectiveness of application by obliged entities of controls on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) and their ability to detect and prevent financial crime marked the completion of a series of on-line training for...
Keynote lecture on electronic evidence gathered lawyers from eight countries
On 22 December an online meeting for lawyers was organised by our project with the aim to strengthen co-operation between bar associations and law societies to improve the internal functioning and independence of the bars, in line with Council of Europe standards and recommendations. At the...
Online training for accountants and auditors on anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism compliance and the risks associated with the sector
The European Union-Council of Europe joint project, in co-operation with the Service for Accounting, Reporting and Auditing Supervision (SARAS), organised the online training “Anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance for accounting/auditing sector”. The...
Azerbaijani judges enhance their knowledge on adjudication of money laundering and terrorism financing cases
24 Azerbaijani judges and one representative of the judicial staff enhanced their understanding and skills on judicial processing and adjudication of money laundering and terrorism financing (ML/TF) cases as a result of the training “Processing and Adjudicating ML/TF Cases” which took place...
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...
The importance of the combat against corruption stressed in awareness raising meetings for representatives of the state institutions and local municipalities in Georgia
In cooperation with the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), two awareness raising events on “Fighting against Corruption” were organised for the representatives of state institutions and local municipalities. The discussions were led by the staff of the SSSG Anti-corruption Agency,...
Fighting Discrimination and Providing Justice for Ethnic Minorities in the Republic of Moldova
The NGO Roma National Center from the Republic of Moldova is implementing until April 2022 a project intending to change the negative attitude towards Roma and other ethnic minority groups in the country, as well as to raise awareness of society about the discriminatory practices that lead to...
Equal opportunities without sexism in the Republic of Moldova: combating sexist speech, gender-based discrimination and violence against women
The NGO Gender-Centru from the Republic of Moldova, as host organization of Platform for Gender Equality, is implementing until April 2022 a project aiming at increasing equal opportunities without sexism in Moldova and raising awareness in the society at large to take a stand to combat sexist...
15 December 2021
A roundtable and a workshop on judicial statistics in Azerbaijan
An online round table to present the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) dynamic database of European judicial systems was held for national stakeholders in Azerbaijan. The various CEPEJ-STAT dashboards, CEPEJ Evaluation Report of judicial systems, evaluation scheme and...
Enhancing the knowledge inclusive education for trainers of the National Institute of Justice
Trainers of the National Institute of Justice have broadened their knowledge on inclusive education during a two half-day online training of trainers. The event held on 15-16 December, focused on the international legal framework (United Nations Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities,...
Law enforcement agencies trained on the special investigative intelligence gathering techniques in the fight against corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing
In cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Georgia, the joint European Union-Council of Europe project, organised a two-day training on “Special Investigative Techniques and Intelligence Gathering.” This training was held with the online contribution of Council of Europe...
Moldovan police officers exchange with Spanish counterparts on ways to improve work with victims of hate crime
Representatives of the General Police Inspectorate of Moldova participated in a study visit to the Police of Madrid and Fuenlabrada, in Spain, with the aim to discuss about the community police practices, the diversity aspects in policing and the fight against hate crime. The visit took place on...
Azerbaijan develops capacity to assess risks of money laundering and terrorism financing related to legal persons and arrangements
The joint European Union-Council of Europe project continues to accompany the Azerbaijani government in the process of performing their second national risk assessment (NRA) in the area of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). Previous support provided...
From Discrimination to Inclusion: Promoting the Right to Work for All People with Disabilities in Ukraine
The NGO Fight for Right from Ukraine is implementing until April 2022 a project aiming at combating discrimination affecting disabled people in the country, through advocacy for improved legislation, and raising awareness about the rights of people with disabilities on the labour market. This...
Effective investigation, prosecution and sanctioning of money laundering offences advanced in Ukraine
Jointly with the National School of Judges of Ukraine (NSJU), the European Union-Council of Europe joint project, organised an online expert discussion on the application of the recently updated criminal offence of money laundering. This activity builds on long-standing and fruitful cooperation...
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...
Strengthening access to justice for LGBTQI people in Ukraine
The NGO Insight from Ukraine is implementing until April 2022 a project aiming at combating discrimination and hatred against LGBTI people in Ukraine through litigation, providing access to support services and informing victims about the possibilities to get assistance. This project is carried...
Ukrainian non-banking financial institutions better equipped to prevent, detect and report money laundering and terrorist financing
Our project, in co-operation with the National Bank of Ukraine, delivered a comprehensive training to non-banking financial institutions in better delivering on their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing obligations. As the National Bank of Ukraine has under its supervision 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...
Azerbaijani banks and investment companies learn about money laundering and terrorism financing risks related to virtual assets
In co-operation with the Financial Monitoring Service of Azerbaijan (FMS), the Council of Europe organised a two-day training course for 42 representatives of banks and investment companies, and FMS staff members, to introduce them to key concepts on virtual assets and virtual asset service...
Training sessions organised to improve the efficiency and quality of courts
Four online training sessions were held between 26 November and 3 December, with the aim to improve the efficiency and quality of courts based on the tools and guidelines developed by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ). The trainings concerned the measurement of the...
Taking stock of progress and results achieved in the last six-month period of our project
During the fourth Steering Group meeting, held online on 1 December, the project’s implementing partners took stock of the results and the progress achieved over the last six month and they approved the action plan for the next period. Particular focus has been put on key initiatives of the...
Court Manager’s Forum in Georgia
Court managers from the country’s courts have attended the forum held on 26-27 November. Through this two-day forum, participants had the possibility to follow-up on developments related to the electronic case management rule of the Courts and the definition of the next steps towards its...
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...
Launch of the report “Systemic mapping of national responses to hate speech in Georgia”
What is the impact of hate speech on the society, what challenges it poses and how can they be effectively addressed? What means of redress, tools and actions are available to victims? What is the role played by different state and private actors in addressing hate speech? These are among the key...
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...
Partners and stakeholders of our project to counter economic crime agree on continued co-operation during the third Steering Committee Meeting
The third Steering Committee Meeting of the European Union-Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance II project “Enhancing the systems of prevention and combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing in Georgia” was organised on 17 November 2021. The project is one of...
Study visit for Azerbaijani state authorities to Georgia on violence against women
A delegation of representatives from the Azerbaijani state authorities performed a study visit to Georgia to learn about promising practices in the field of violence against women and domestic violence, as well as the Georgian experience of implementing the Council of Europe Convention on...
Reinforcing the capacities of Ukrainian judges on dealing with hate speech
In co-operation with the National School of Judges Ukraine and the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme of the Council of Europe, a pilot tutored course on “Combating hate speech”, adapted to the Ukrainian context and legislative framework, has been launched today in...
Launch of the first training of trainers on combating discrimination in Azerbaijan
The first training of trainers on combating discrimination in Azerbaijan has been launched with the co-operation of the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme of the Council of Europe in the framework of the European Union - Council of Europe joint project "Strengthening...
Results, challenges and plans for the future discussed with project stakeholders on combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes
The European Union and the Council of Europe are working together in Eastern Partnership countries to combat discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes. On 16 November 2021 the third Technical Project Committee meeting of our joint project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of...
Web article on problems encountered by people with HIV
A new storytelling article tackling hate speech and discrimination against persons with HIV in the Republic of Moldova is now available online. The article is part of a series of six web articles developed by the journalistic platform "Oameni și Kilometri" in co-operation with the Ombudsoffice,...
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...
International seminar “Combating sexist advertising: learning from practice”
The seminar “Combating sexist advertising: learning from practice” was organised on 28-29 October, aiming to provide a platform for discussion on combating sexist advertising and the role of equality bodies in this field, for participants from the member states of the Council of Europe. This...
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...
Trainee judges in Azerbaijan learn about money laundering and terrorism financing adjudication
In support to the ongoing training programme for judge candidates of the Academy of Justice of Azerbaijan, the Council of Europe organised a two-day course for trainee judges to provide them with important insights on money laundering and other financial crime concepts, as well as good practices...
The Ukrainian banking sector reinforces its skills in preventing money laundering and terrorism financing
In cooperation with the National Bank of Ukraine, the Council of Europe organised five weekly sessions served to enhance the skills of the banking professionals in applying Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) measures. Organised in an interactive way, training sessions...
Clerks from Moldovan courts consolidate their knowledge on combating discrimination
Clerks from Moldovan courts participated in an online training course on how to deal with cases of discrimination, through the perspective of the European Convention for Human Rights and the national legislation. The training was focused on the prohibition of discrimination under the European...
Police officers and prosecutors trained to raise awareness on hate crime in their institutions in Ukraine
On 21 – 23 October 2021, the last seminar of a long-term training for multipliers from the National Police and the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine on combating hate crime was organised by the European Union-Council of Europe’s project “Strengthening access to justice for victims of...
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,''...
Web article on problems encountered due to intolerance based on religion
A new storytelling article tackling hate speech and discrimination against religious minorities in the Republic of Moldova is based on a real life story of a young woman who faced public criticism because of her religion. Her challenging path and the story of successful engagement in community...
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...
Ukrainian judges trained to adjudicate terrorist financing
In continuation of previous capacity building efforts and series of training activities for Ukrainian judges in the field of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, the Council of Europe in cooperation with the National School of Judges of Ukraine organised specialised...
Georgian Anti-corruption Agency staff trained to train public servants on corruption prevention
The Council of Europe in cooperation with the State Security Service of Georgia organised a training of trainers on “Corruption Prevention in the Public Sector”, for the staff of the Anti-Corruption Agency within the State Security Service. The trainers trained in this occasion will, in turn,...
Protect your rights, honor and dignity
This video was developed by the LGBT Human Rights Nash Mir Centre from Ukraine as part of an awareness raising campaign on the rights of LGBTI people in alleged cases of hate crimes. From 1 February to 31 July 2021, the LGBT Human Rights Nash Mir Centre from Ukraine carried out the project...
Creation of a new IT tool for publishing judicial statistics in the Republic of Moldova
A national Internet-based tool, JUSTAT, aimed at publishing data about the judicial system in the Republic of Moldova, such as statistics, key indicators and other information on the performance of the court system, has just been published for supporting the national authorities to further...
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)...
Manual on financial investigations to guide law enforcement professionals in Ukraine
The Council of Europe organised the launching and presentation event of the Manual on financial investigations for Ukraine. The Manual is the achievement of more than two years of joint efforts by law enforcement agencies, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the asset recovery and management...
European Court of Human Rights factsheets on violence against women, domestic violence and gender equality now available in Azerbaijani
The latest versions of the European Court of Human Rights factsheets on violence against women, domestic violence, and gender equality have been translated in Azerbaijani. These factsheets will be distributed to the Academy of Justice of Azerbaijan, partner of the project, and the Bar Association...
Consultation meetings to define national-level indicators able to demonstrate the effect of judicial reforms in Azerbaijan
From 27 to 30 September 2021, the Council of Europe European Commission for the efficiency of justice (CEPEJ) will organise four half-day online consultations from CEPEJ experts with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Supreme Court, Judicial Legal Council and Justice Academy of...
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...
Taking stock of raising awareness of the Istanbul Convention and other gender equality standards in Azerbaijan
At the Board meeting of the project “Raising awareness of the Istanbul Convention and other gender equality standards in Azerbaijan”, which took place in a digital format, the project management informed Board members and observers about the progress of the project, the results achieved to date...
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...
Web article on problems encountered by Roma people
Hate speech and discrimination against the Roma community in the Republic of Moldova is the issue covered through the article developed and published by the journalistic platform "Oameni și Kilometri," in cooperation with the Ombudsoffice, the Equality Council and the Promo-LEX NGO in the...
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...
Increasing the capacities of police investigators and prosecutors on combating hate crime in Ukraine
As a response to the needs of the Office of the Prosecutor General and the National Police of Ukraine, we organised a training of multipliers in June. The aim is to create a pool of competent staff that can provide police officers and prosecutors with training on the prevention and effective...
Increasing the capacities of Ukrainian police officers to handle hate crimes affecting LGBTI people
On 21 and 22 July and on 29 and 30 July 2021, 28 police officers increased their knowledge about LGBTI groups and their skills on how to handle hate crimes affecting LGBTI people, thanks to two training courses organised by the regional EU-Council of Europe project on “Strengthening access to...
Protecting LGBT People from Hate Crimes in Ukraine
From 1 February to 31 July 2021, the LGBT Human Rights Nash Mir Centre from Ukraine carried out the project “Protecting LGBT People from Hate Crimes in Ukraine: Recommendations Based on Experience and Advocacy”, with the support of the European Union-Council of Europe joint programme Partnership...
A new manual to ease individuals’ access to Constitutional Justice in Georgia available now
Constitutional Court’s case law on admissibility criteria has been compiled and analysed in the manual "Constitutional Complains' Admissibility Standards." It is the first manual of its kind, and its’ aim is to guide individuals, citizens, civil society representatives and other potential parties...
Azerbaijani authorities and civil society to jointly develop a campaign strategy on violence against women
A series of capacity-building sessions was organised in July for Azerbaijani authorities and civil society representatives working in the field of violence against women and domestic violence. The aim is to develop jointly an awareness raising campaign on the issue. The sessions included...
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...
Taking stock of results and planning next actions on strengthening anti-money laundering and asset recovery in Azerbaijan
The second Technical Project Committee meeting on strengthening anti-money laundering (AML) and asset recovery in Azerbaijan took place, with representatives from 16 national authorities. The aim was to provide an overview of the activities implemented since the beginning of the project and...
Moldovan National Institute of Justice trainers enhanced their skills to deliver both in-person and online interactive trainings
With the aim to create a more conducive learning environment in judicial training courses, whether they take place online or in classrooms, a course was held remotely for twelve trainers of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The trainers participating are engaged in delivering initial and...
Raising awareness on hate speech in the Republic of Moldova
Hate speech harms individuals and the groups it targets, and it harms the social cohesion and democratic principles of societies. To raise awareness in the Republic of Moldova about this issue, several activities are carried out in the second half of 2021 by the regional project “Strengthening...
Web article on problems encountered by LGBTI people
Hatred and discrimination can affect all persons. A series of six web articles will be published online through the platform "Oameni și kilometri", prepared by our regional project on combating discrimination with input by the Moldovan Ombudsoffice and the Promo-LEX NGO. The first web article is...
Seminar on trainer skills in combating discrimination in Ukraine
In co-operation with the Legal Aid Coordination Centre, we organised a seminar for Legal Aid trainers on trainer skills in combating discrimination in Kyiv, Ukraine. The seminar was the last activity of a four-month training of trainers carried out by our project “Strengthening access to justice...
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....
Interagency dialogue on transparency of beneficial ownership in Ukraine
The Council of Europe national and international experts contributed to the conference on "Transparency of ultimate beneficial ownership: lessons and prospects", initiated by the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine and attended by representatives of Ukrainian public authorities included...
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...
Supreme Court Judges of Georgia enhance their knowledge on economic crime adjudication
An online workshop on “Best practices of adjudication of money laundering and other economic crime cases” was organised together with the Supreme Court of Georgia for the judges of the Chamber of Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of Georgia, with direct contribution from an international...
Public seminar on the role of civil society in promoting equality, diversity and human rights in Azerbaijan
The Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Equality Platform Azerbaijan, organised a public webinar on the role of civil society in promoting equality, diversity and human rights. The event targeted civil society organisations in Azerbaijan, but was also open to civil society actors from...
Court management online training session in Azerbaijan
An online training session for trainers on court management, in particular on the collection and analysis of judicial statistics, performance evaluation, measuring the quality of justice and case and time management was held on 23-25 June. The participants were judges and court presidents, court...
Presentation of the Analysis on how CEPEJ methods can be applied on judicial statistics in Georgia
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) organised an online seminar to present the analysis of existing data and statistical reporting processes to demonstrate the use of CEPEJ methods to guide and support policy and managerial capacity required for the creation of...
What is hate speech? Video available in English, Romanian and Russian
Romanian version Russian version
New publication available in Azerbaijani on Article 13 of the Istanbul Convention
The Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, is the most comprehensive international legal standard to end violence against women and domestic violence. It starts from the point that violence...
International Conference on Advancing Beneficial Ownership Transparency
In contributing to the international on-going efforts to enable countries to access and share reliable beneficial ownership information, the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the European Union, is organising an international Conference on Advancing Beneficial Ownership Transparency on...
Training law professors in Azerbaijan to become trainers on violence against women
Aiming to equip law professors at the Faculty of Law of the Baku State University with the capacity of tutoring the Council of Europe Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) course Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, an online training session was organised by our project...
Azerbaijani authorities boost their capacities on anti-corruption and ethics in public service
The handbooks on anti-corruption concepts, standards, and practices, as well as ethics in public service were presented at the meeting of the Scientific-Advisory Council under the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This is of particular importance due to the establishment of the...
Online training on appeals against acts of enforcement agents in national courts in the Republic of Moldova
A series of 10 online training seminars are being conducted in the field of enforcement in civil and administrative matters, largely based on the new Commentary to the Enforcement Code, recently developed at the initiative of the Council of Europe. The agenda of these training is focused on 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
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...
Round table: A comprehensive approach to combating hate speech in the Republic of Moldova
The Council of Europe organised an online round table on 11 June, in co-operation with the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova, the Audiovisual Council and the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training to discuss the application of a comprehensive approach to combating hate...
Second awareness-raising webinar on violence against women and the Istanbul Convention held in Azerbaijan
The second webinar on raising awareness of violence against women under the Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, took place on 8 June 2021. Raising awareness of violence against women is the...
Regional launch in Eastern Partnership countries for HELP course on Women's Access to Justice
The Council of Europe and its member states have made specific commitments to improve women’s access to justice and prevent and combat violence against women. The role of justice system professionals in ensuring and strengthening women’s access to justice is essential in achieving substantive...
Azerbaijan’s Financial Intelligence Unit learns about EU member state experience on ultimate beneficial ownership register
The representatives of the Azerbaijani Financial Intelligence Unit (Financial Monitoring Service) were introduced to the process of development, implementation and management of the Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) Register in one of the EU member states in the framework of the project...
Georgian currency exchange bureaus trained to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorism financing in their daily business
The Council of Europe in cooperation with the Financial Monitoring Service of Georgia (FMS - Financial Intelligence Unit of Georgia) organised a two-day online training on “Anti-money laundering/countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance for currency exchange bureaus”. In addition to...
Webinar on reasonable length of proceedings and case backlog in Georgian courts
A second webinar, part of a series dedicated to “Judicial proceedings within reasonable time”, was held on 3 June 2021. Its aim was to present Council of Europe European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) timeframes in conformity with Article 6 of the European Convention of Human...
National risk assessment process on money laundering/terrorism financing enhanced in Azerbaijan
A three-day workshop was organised by the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division of the Council of Europe with the aim to support Azerbaijani authorities in the process of performing their second national risk assessment (NRA) in the field of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of...
Enhancing equality and non-discrimination by training police and the judiciary on hate crime in the Republic of Moldova
Following up on the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) conclusions on the implementation of its priority recommendations made to Republic of Moldova, an online round table on enhancing equality and non-discrimination by training law enforcement and the judiciary on hate...
Ombudsperson Institutions united in fighting for Roma inclusion
Upon the initiative of the Ukraine Ombudsperson office, the Council of Europe co-organised the “Kiev International Forum of Equality Bodies on Roma Inclusion”, on 27 May 2021. The Forum gathered over 140 participants, from over 20 independent human rights institutions from across Europe 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...
Evaluation of the performance of enforcement systems and reporting in the Republic of Moldova
An online seminar on the evaluation and reporting on the performance of enforcement systems and their agents was conducted in the Republic of Moldova. The seminar gathered 25 participants, from the Moldovan National Union of Enforcement Agents as well as court presidents and judges. With the...
Moldovan Equality Council staff trained to better structure and articulate arguments and draft motivation on discrimination cases
The Council of Europe facilitated an online workshop to consolidate the Moldovan Equality Council staff capacity on constructing decisions for cases of discrimination. The workshop took place on 14 and 24 May 2021 and it consisted of structural tips, persuasion techniques and methodological...
Improving the methodology of distribution of resources in the Moldovan judiciary by using statistical data
The ability of the courts and of the judiciary in general to properly evaluate and reason their needs is a key aspect of modern judicial management. The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) organised a second online seminar on taking decisions with regard to the distribution...
Georgian authorities discuss how to identify and manage conflict of interests and assess corruption risks in the public sector
The Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of Georgia (MOJ) organised a two-day workshop on “Corruption Prevention in the Public Sector”. The workshop aimed at supporting the transition of the Anti-Corruption Council Secretariat to the Administration of the Government of...
Policing hate crime against LGBTI persons: training for a professional police response” and launch of the manual in Ukrainian
On the occasion of the International Week Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, an online public event on combating hate crime affecting LGBTI people, including a launch of the Ukrainian adaptation of the Council of Europe manual “Policing hate crime against LGBTI persons: training for a...
Georgian translation of the ECRI factsheet on LGBTI issues now available
The ECRI factsheet on LGBTI issues summarises recommendations made by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) to safeguard and protect the human rights of LGBTI persons. The factsheet includes sections on the Legal framework, Data collection, research and policy framework,...
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...
Georgia: Joint Opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the amendments to the Election Code of Georgia
The Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR issued their urgent joint opinion on the draft amendments to the Election Code of Georgia, following an urgent request for assistance by the then Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Mr Archil Talakvadze, addressed to the OSCE/ODIHR on 9 March 2021....
Ukrainian Security Service better equipped to fight terrorist financing
A complex online training course on terrorist financing detection, disruption and investigation was delivered to practitioners of the Security Service of Ukraine, including operatives and investigators, as well as representatives of training institutions. Moreover, with a view to ensuring...
Georgia: Urgent Opinion on the amendments to the Organic law on Common Courts (appointment of Supreme Court judges) issued by Venice Commission
The Venice Commission in its urgent opinion welcomes the amendments to the Organic Law of Georgia on Common Courts, which have taken into account several of its previous recommendations. Nevertheless, there are a number of outstanding recommendations that should be considered in order to ensure...
Training on financial investigation for Georgian law enforcement
The Council of Europe in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Georgia organised a two-day training on “Financial investigation of money laundering/financing of terrorism cases”. The activity was delivered in “hybrid” format with the online involvement of international Council...
Call for participants: training course for journalists on combating hate speech in the audio-visual mass-media
The Council of Europe organises a training course on combating hate speech in the audio-visual mass-media for journalists from the Republic of Moldova. The training is organised around five sessions, on 17, 19, 21, 24 and 26 May. By the end of the training course, participants will be able to:...
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...
Findings and recommendations on improvement of asset recovery system discussed with Azerbaijani stakeholders
After a thorough consultation process with national authorities, the project “Strengthening anti-money laundering and asset recovery in Azerbaijan” has developed a holistic analysis of the institutional and legislative asset recovery framework in Azerbaijan, complemented with practical...
#JusticeForAll campaign launched in Georgia to promote access to justice free of visible and invisible barriers
Access to justice is a fundamental prerequisite for the protection of basic human rights by citizens. To improve access to justice means to tackle existing inequalities and provide quality services to all, notwithstanding their gender, ethnicity, race, identity, age, social condition or physical...
Ukrainian prosecutors refine their knowledge and skills on effective investigation and prosecution of money laundering offences
A three-day online training course on “Effective investigation and prosecution of money laundering” was organised together with the Training Centre of Prosecutors of Ukraine. The Prosecutor General’s Office as well as regional and district public prosecution offices benefited from the training,...
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...
Concluding the series of discussions to enhance the quality of justice in Georgia
Evening Talks, a series of online discussions aiming at contributing to the quality of improvement of the justice system in Georgia concluded with its final session held on 18 April. This series created an online platform promoting different policy papers, guidelines, and documents developed by...
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...
Empowering the Roma communities in Ukraine through mediators and new local associations
The Lacho Drome Roma Center successfully started capacity building the local network of mediators in four towns across two Ukrainian regions (Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk). Two mediators in each of the four towns were trained toward in their communities monitoring and reporting cases of...
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...
Evening talks on 14 April: the series of discussions to enhance the quality of justice in Georgia
This session is a series of online discussions under the name Evening talks aiming at contributing to the quality improvement of the justice system in Georgia. The online programme creates a platform promoting different policy papers, guidelines, and documents developed by the Council of Europe...
Increasing the capacity of the Moldova Audio-visual Council to monitor and sanction hate speech
A training course for the staff of the Audio-visual Council of the Republic of Moldova on monitoring and sanctioning hate speech has been launched. The training will include four online sessions during the month of April, with the following objectives: To familiarise participants with key human...
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...
Ukrainian judges are trained to train their peers on money laundering
As a part of a long-standing cooperation with the National School of Judges of Ukraine aimed at strengthening judicial capacities related to money laundering, training of trainers was conducted for Ukrainian judges through Council of Europe support on 29-30 March 2021. Following up on 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,''...
"Where is my place?" Life stories of victims of discrimination in the Republic of Moldova
"Where is my place?" is the central question of the concept for the video spot, presenting two life stories of a woman and a man, victims of discrimination in the Republic of Moldova. The video is filmed in an observational documentary style in the first part showing people’s behavior when they...
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...
Republic of Moldova: Venice Commission adopts an opinion on draft legislation amending the people’s advocate law
During its 126th plenary session, held on 19 and 20 March, the Venice Commission adopted an opinion on the draft law amending some normative acts relating to the People’s Advocate of the Republic of Moldova. The draft legislation introduces into the national legal order a ”People’s Advocate for...
Republic of Moldova: Venice Commission issues an amicus curiae brief on the constitutional review of the law-making procedures in Parliament
During its 126th plenary session, held on 19 and 20 March, the European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe (Venice Commission) adopted an amicus curiae opinion for the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova on three legal questions concerning the law-making...
Georgia: Reform for elections, political associations and parliament rules should be “reconsidered”, according to Venice Commission
In a joint opinion, requested in December 2020 by the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia and adopted at the latest plenary of the Venice Commission (19-20 March 2021), the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission call on Georgia to reconsider several amendments to the Election Code, the Law on...
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...
Online training on Council of Europe standards to combat hate speech in Georgia
Participants from institutions and organisations in Georgia will be trained through online courses on Council of Europe standards to combat hate speech. The aim of these courses is to increate understanding of hate speech, its forms, its causes and consequences. Participants will also learn about...
Evening talks: the series of discussions to enhance the quality of justice in Georgia
A series of online discussions under the name “Evening talks”, aiming at contributing to the quality improvement of the justice system in Georgia, continues during the month of March. The online programme creates a platform promoting different policy papers, guidelines, and documents developed by...
National Proliferation Financing Indicators for Ukraine
On 19 March 2021 the technical paper on “Proliferation Financing Threats in Ukraine” was presented to Ukrainian stakeholders in an online event. The document is the result of several months of joint work with a wide range of concerned national authorities including policymakers, law enforcement,...
Raising awareness on the Istanbul Convention in Azerbaijan
The first of a series of webinars dedicated on explaining specific articles of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) in Azerbaijan was launched this week. The aim of these webinars is to contribute to the...
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....
One in four people felt discriminated in the Republic of Moldova during the last year
The general population and professionals in the Republic of Moldova consider discrimination a widespread problem, according to a national study conducted in the period September-November 2020. One in four people from the general population interviewed stated that they have felt discriminated in...
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