Strengthening the capacity of equality bodies/Ombudsoffices and NGOs to inform the public about available redress mechanisms to discrimination, hate speech and hate crime is at the core of the regional project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries”. In the Eastern Partnership region, this includes specifically reaching out and communicating in adequate ways with women and men from vulnerable communities. Both equality bodies/Ombudsoffices and NGOs have a role to play in running information campaigns and ensuring that victims use redress mechanisms to discrimination, hate crime and hate speech.

The project first regional meeting of the project will be organised in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, on 7 and 8 November and explore these topics.

The meeting will be organised as follows:

• The Joint launch of the PGG national/Moldovan and regional project on anti-discrimination with expert input on anti-discrimination and regional exchange of experiences, on 7 November 2019, followed by
• The first regional meeting of the PGG regional project, on 7 November after 16.30 and 8 November 2019, with a thematic focus on strengthening the capacity of equality bodies/Ombudsoffices and NGOs to inform the wider public about available redress mechanisms to discrimination, hate speech and hate crime, and to specifically reach and communicate in adequate ways with women and men from vulnerable communities.

THE JOINT LAUNCH

The joint launch event, on 7 November 2019, will be an opportunity to launch both the national/Moldova "Strengthening the capacities of the justice sector actors to deliver justice in line with European standards, in particular to fight discrimination" project and the regional project “Strengthening access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries”.

The meeting will be attended by approximately 80 participants, from the six countries and with a wider representation from the Republic of Moldova of the national/ Moldova project partners and beneficiaries.

The meeting agenda will include introductions and official launch of the two projects, thematic sessions on non-discrimination (on co-operation between public authorities and civil society, communication strategies and the role of lawyers in combating discrimination) and a celebration of the Council of Europe 70th anniversary.

THE REGIONAL MEETING

The regional meeting of the PGG regional project, on 7 November late afternoon and 8 November 2019, will be attended by 40 participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

The regional meeting objectives are:

• To introduce the project to its national partners and beneficiaries, adopt the workplan and establish mechanisms of cooperation within the project for the upcoming period
• To build capacities of equality bodies/ Ombudsoffices to inform the general public and specifically also vulnerable communities about redress mechanisms for discrimination, hate speech and hate crime, on the basis of the good practices developed in the Republic of Moldova and other countries
• To offer a space for sharing and networking among participants on the work with vulnerable groups in their access to redress to discrimination, hate speech and hate crime.