The Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Supreme Election Commission of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara and the Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Training Centre, organised a workshop for civic education schoolteachers from Ajara on “Democratic Elections and Electoral Environment”. The workshop took place on 29-30 June 2023 and gathered schoolteachers from Batumi and adjacent areas.

The overall objective of the workshop was to raise awareness of civic education teachers towards international standards and good practices with an emphasis on the Council of Europe’s legal and policy instruments. The cross-cutting issue was to introduce to the participants new domestic electoral practices, among them - new electronic means that will be used for 2024 parliamentary elections in Georgia – for the first time - nationwide.

Stefan Sirbu, the Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Parmen Jalaghonia, Chairperson of the Supreme Election Commission of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, Maia Khajishvili, Minister of Education, Culture, and Sport of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara and Natia Zaalishvili, Director of the Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Training Centre delivered opening remarks. Speakers underlined importance of the role of civic education teachers in promoting active engagement of young people in elections, among them through introducing the Europe’s electoral heritage and good practices in electoral matters.

Participants among other topics discussed: political rights and freedoms of citizens, international standards and principles of conducting democratic elections and their enforcement, hate speech-free electoral environment, digital technologies used in elections - challenges and opportunities for voters, polling station workers and observers, practical instruments how to promote active engagement of youth in elections.

The workshop was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Supporting Transparency, Inclusiveness and Integrity of Electoral Practice and Process in Georgia”.