CoE/EU Regional Joint Project on Strengthening the lawyers’ capacity for domestic application of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and of the Revised European Social Charter RESC

Dates: 1 January 2013 – 30 June 2015
Duration: 30 months
Budget: EUR 2 015 000 for 6 countries
Donor: Council of Europe and European Union
Partners: Chamber of Advocates, School of Advocates and Civil Society
 

The Joint Project was a regional initiative and covered 6 countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The objectives of the Project were: a) developing national capacities for effective human rights protection by increasing knowledge and skills on ECHR and RESC standards; b) enabling lawyers and human rights defenders in the partner countries to successfully litigate cases based on the ECHR and on the RESC in proceedings before national courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of well-substantiated claims; and c) avoiding submission to the ECtHR of manifestly ill-founded or inadmissible claims.

The main accomplishments of the Project include:

  • 12-day ToT sessions for national ECHR lawyers' trainers from Bar association and human rights NGOs organized:
    1. Group of 30 lawyers and human rights defenders trained;
    2. ToT modules available on CoE HELP portal.
  • 23 cascade seminars on different anti-discrimination topics throughout Armenia carried out:
    1. About 780 lawyers and human rights defenders trained;
    2. 10 training courses developed and accredited by Bar Association qualifying for CLE credit.
  • 7 thematic workshops for lawyers and human rights NGOs activists organised in Yerevan:
    1. About 300 lawyers and human rights defenders trained;
    2. 7 training courses developed and accredited by Bar Association qualifying for CLE credit.
  • Handbook on European case law on non-discrimination available in Armenian. (see the Handbook)
  • Country-specific manual on the use of domestic remedies in anti-discrimination cases. (see the Manual)
  • Analysis of the arguments on cases submitted before national courts available in Armenian. (see the Analysis)
  • HELP online course on anti-discrimination tailor-made to partner countries and translated into Armenian.   
  • HELP online course on introduction to the ECHR made available in Armenian.