The Council of Europe Office in Georgia welcomed government officials, members of international and local non-governmental organisations, academia and other stakeholders to the official launching events of the Projects “Support to Penitentiary System Reform” (on 13 March) and “Enhancing Human Rights Compliant Approach in Law Enforcement Institutions” (on 14 March 2024). 

The two new projects will build on the achievements of the previous actions in supporting the national authorities in ongoing reforms directed at improving the quality of prison healthcare provision, rehabilitation of inmates, drug-related and other therapeutic services, protecting victims and witnesses of police misconduct, monitoring the quality of independent investigation, timely reaction to cases involving alleged ill-treatment by law-enforcement authorities, human rights-compliant policing, continuous training system for police officers, ensuring sustainable training provision and well-being of staff, and other related areas.

The events highlighted the crucial function of the projects as platforms for inclusive dialogue among stakeholders involved in the reforms in the penitentiary, probation and police and contributing to strengthening of national monitoring institutions. Additionally, there was a strong emphasis on support through the Pompidou Group component of the project, which targets drug prevention within the criminal justice system. The plans to implement capacity-building initiatives, including comprehensive training modules and programmes, to facilitate sustainable change within the involved institutions were also underscored.

During the discussion, the participants highlighted the importance of addressing the challenges facing the penitentiary system and the police and expressed optimism about the projects’ potential to bring about further improvements and positive changes.

The Projects are implemented under the auspices of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia (2024-2027).