News
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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