On 6 June 2015 at the premises of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Tamar Zhvania, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of Georgia, and Ana Natsvlishvili, Chairperson of Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, signed the Memorandum of Cooperation within the framework of the pilot project “Electoral Development Schools – 2015”.

With the signature of the Memorandum, the CEC and GYLA agreed to create Electoral Development Schools aimed at increasing civic participation, raising voters’ awareness and promoting electoral issues among the public and especially among youth, vulnerable groups and ethnic minorities.

At the schools, 17-25 year olds participants will be trained by District Election Commission members and GYLA representatives on election related issues including: election systems, election administration, democratic electoral principles, elective bodies in Georgia, electoral stakeholders, transparency of elections and election accessibility, gender equality, etc.

CEC Electoral Development Schools will be opened in 10 election districts: Telavi, Sighnaghi, Akhaltsikhe, Marneuli, Gori, Rustavi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Ozurgeti and Batumi.

The pilot project “Electoral Development Schools – 2015” is implemented by the Central Election Commission of Georgia and Training Centre, in cooperation with the Georgian Young Lawyers Association and with the financial support of the Council of Europe.