Назад The Council of Europe supports the strengthening of capacities of representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society on promoting equality and non-discrimination

The Council of Europe supports the strengthening of capacities of representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society on promoting equality and non-discrimination

A round-table on equality and non-discrimination, gathering representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society, Council of Europe and European Union Delegation to the Council of Europe was held in Strasbourg on 4-5 December 2023.

The aim of the activity was to discuss and review the analysis on a model of equality law for Belarus, developed in co-operation with the Belarusian Helsinki Committee. The final report of the activity will serve as a baseline for future capacity building activities for Belarusian democratic forces and civil society to strengthen and develop legislation, policies and awareness related to equality and non-discrimination.  

Participants discussed the current issues and the analysis of the legislation in relation to various non-discrimination themes. The activity served also as a forum to discuss European Union and the Council of Europe standards and good practices in the field of antidiscrimination and combating hate speech.

The Council of Europe will continue to support representatives of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society with capacity development and awareness activities in 2024 aimed at expanding the established platform to more civil society actors.

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.

Strasbourg, France 4-5 December 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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