An Inter-Agency Roundtable on Suicide Prevention among high-risk population groups took place in Tbilisi on 20 December 2023. Over 40 representatives from various national agencies, including the Ministry of Justice (Special Penitentiary Service, National Probation Agency, Juvenile Referral Centre), Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Office of Resource Officers of Educational Institutions, Agency for State Care and Assistance for the Victims of Human Trafficking, and Personal Data Protection Service, gathered to discuss the critical issue of suicide prevention and explore potential cooperation.

Georgia’s penitentiary and probation system, nationally recognised for its efforts in suicide prevention, shared invaluable insights and lessons learned, highlighting the crucial importance of inter-agency cooperation.  During the Roundtable, participants actively engaged in in-depth discussions on the adoption of international best practices. Emphasis was placed on ensuring seamless continuation of suicide prevention programmes post-release and throughout the probation period, also on addressing privacy and data protection, improving instruments of suicide risk screening, and addressing staff well-being and their training needs.

Looking ahead, the Council of Europe reiterated its commitment to supporting the state agencies of Georgia working with prisoners and former prisoners, with a focus on rehabilitation, social reintegration, and suicide prevention. The event marked a significant step forward in fostering collaboration and sharing best practices on a national scale.

This activity was conducted under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Enhancing Healthcare Provision in Georgia’s Penitentiary System”, which is a part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023.