The Council of Europe's Office in Georgia successfully concluded the “Promoting the Effective Protection of Equality and Non-Discrimination in Georgia” project. Throughout its duration, the project actively collaborated with various state authorities, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Prosecutor's Office, the Special Investigation Service, the Court, the Office of the Public Defender, the Office of Resource Officers of Educational Institutions, and the Coalition for Equality.

This productive collaboration with state authorities yielded a significant improvement in the timely response to hate crimes in 2021-22. The Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated investigations in 3,505 cases, leading to 2,006 prosecutions and 906 convictions. Notably, majority of these hate crime cases were related to gender-based discrimination.

The positive changes observed in 2021-22 were preceded by measures aimed at enhancing the response to hate crimes. Key initiatives included the training of resource officers, educational visits to countries with best practices, development of equality documents, and awareness campaigns targeting media and private sector representatives.

In 2023, the project achieved significant milestones, including the development and approval of the first-ever analysis report on hate crime data collected. Additionally, a comprehensive module for the specialization of investigators in hate crimes was created, with 105 prosecutors, 11 investigators, 35 managers, and 18 victim witness coordinators completing specialized training.

Active involvement from the private sector was also notable, with representatives from the banking, insurance, and retail sectors receiving training on Council of Europe standards for equality and non-discrimination. This sector also witnessed the development of equality policy documents. Civil and community organizations in Adjara, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, and Samtskhe-Javakheti underwent training as well.

The exhibition "Threads of Resistance" was showcased at the closing event, featuring photo, video, and installation works designed to illuminate often unseen examples of resistance. The final event of Equality Week in November included works by the same authors (Andro Dadiani, Salomea Bauer, Dina Oganova, and Chai Khana). This event took place with the participation of heads of state agencies.

The concluding event was attended by heads of state authorities, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Prosecutor's Office, the Supreme Court, the Special Investigation Service, the Public Defender's Office, and the Office of Resource Officers, who collectively reviewed the year's accomplishments alongside the Council of Europe.

The welcome speech at the event was delivered by Menno Ettema, Chair of the Steering Committee for the Anti-Discrimination Department and No Hate Speech and Cooperation Unit at the Council of Europe, and Michel Peetermans, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan.

The event is carried out in the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Promoting the Effective Protection of Equality and Non-Discrimination in Georgia.” The Project is funded through the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023.