Council of Europe Office in Georgia News
Training on Psychological Aspects of interviewing child victim/witnesses of CSEA
The three-day training, "Psychological Aspects of interviewing child victim/witnesses of CSEA," organized by the Council of Europe's office in Georgia, was attended by judges, representatives from the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The training...
Election officials from the Georgian election administration improved their knowledge of international and domestic standards for electoral dispute resolution
Election officials from the Georgian election administration improved their knowledge of international and domestic standards for electoral dispute resolution at the training, taking place on 20 September 2023 and conducted by Council of Europe experts. Training sessions included discussions on...
Sharing Finland's Experience on Restorative Justice
From September 14th to 15th, the Council of Europe organised a study visit for a delegation from Georgia to explore the Finnish approach to restorative justice. The primary objective of this visit was to acquaint Georgian authorities with Finland's restorative justice system and increase their...
Launch of a hybrid learning activity on combating hate speech based on Council of Europe’s standards
The Council of Europe launched a hybrid training course on ECRI GPR 15 on combating hate speech, gathering representatives from different state institutions, Public Defenders office and civil society organisations. The opening session of the course took place on 12 September and the learning...
Council of Europe Youth Camp provides new opportunities for the youth participation in Georgia
29 young individuals from the Project’s pilot municipalities in Georgia gathered on 1-3 August 2023 in Tbilisi to learn about the different ways to get involved in political decision-making in their municipalities. During the Council of Europe Youth Camp, which was for many of them a unique...
Akhemta municipality applies CivicLab methodology to produce a policy document through public consultations
Following the successful application of the CivicLab methodology to produce policy documents in Ozurgeti and Telavi, Akhmeta holds public consultations for the development of a Medium-Term Development Policy Document (MDD) for the municipality. The consultation process was initiated and organised...
Council of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics agreed on the changes aimed at institutional reform during the roundtable held in Tbilisi
A roundtable gathering members of the Council (representative and management body) of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics (Charter) was organised in Tbilisi, by the Council of Europe Office in Georgia. The roundtable was aimed at agreeing on the specific changes in the context of the...
Human Rights narratives to counter hate speech in Georgia
The Council of Europe organised a training course on Human Rights narratives in response to hate speech, gathering representatives from different state institutions, Public Defenders office and civil society organisations. The course took place on 5-7 September. The course aimed at building the...
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: TRAINING OF TRAINERS ON LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is organising a Training of Trainers on Local Democracy and Human Rights on 17-20 October 2023, in Tbilisi, Georgia. The objective of the training of trainers is to create a pool of youth educators to address issues of local...
Statement by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić
15th anniversary of armed conflict between Georgia and Russia
“On the 15th anniversary of the August 2008 armed conflict between Georgia and Russia, the Council of Europe reaffirms its unequivocal support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. It firmly rejects Russia’s...
Civil participation campaign “Change the Scenario – Play Your Role” visits Akhmeta and Telavi
Council of Europe civil participation campaign „Change the Scenario - Play Your Role” continued in Telavi and Akhmeta municipalities. The campaign aims to reach citizens in municipalities, and promote participatory culture in local communities, highlighting the importance of joint efforts of...
Special Investigation Service of Georgia meets the local population in the regions
With the support of the Council of Europe, the Special Investigation Service (SIS) conducted eight informative meetings with the local population and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in four regions of Georgia. These meetings were organized on 13th and 14th July, and between 27th July and 1st...
“Democracy Starts with Your Voice” Summer Academy – Council of Europe project “Democracy Starts in Schools - Engaging School Children in Decision Making Processes in Schools and Communities in Georgia"
Participation of students in school and community life is the key to democratic culture development. The formation of spaces that support the freedom of expression, generation of ideas and finding solutions for the problems existent in their schools and communities, enhances the democratic...
Congress and NALAG launch e-course on gender equality for local authorities
On 1 August 2023, the new E-course on "Gender Mainstreaming at Local Level in Georgia” developed by the Congress and the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) was launched for piloting. The course focuses on gender equality issues in local communities and presents...
Call for international consultants – provision of consultancy services for conducting desk research for collecting insights from recent scientific research applicable in the international cooperation sector
The Council of Europe (CoE) Tbilisi Office is launching a tender procedure for the purchase of consultancy services to conduct desk research for collecting insights from recent scientific research related to Council of Europe’s co-operation sector projects and develop a practical toolkit on new...
Call for international consultant – provision of consultancy services for conducting a training on report writing for the Tbilisi office staff
The Council of Europe Tbilisi Office is launching a tender procedure for purchase of consultancy services to deliver a training for Council of Europe Tbilisi office staff on report writing within the initiative on “Capacity building of Tbilisi office staff on research methods, reporting, and...
Opening of the Summer School of the Constitutional Court
On 26 July, with the financial participation of the joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe: “Strengthening Independence and Professionalism of Justice in Georgia”, as well as the Council of Europe’s project: “Enhancing Implementation of Human Rights Practices and Education...
Promoting Inclusive Reporting
The Council of Europe and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the "Rule of Law Center" organised a training on discrimination issues for media representatives in Georgia. The aim of the training was to empower media representatives in Georgia to address...
Tbilisi and Zestaphoni pilot School Participatory Budgeting first time in Georgia
Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and the Solidarity Fund PL in Georgia supports piloting School Participatory Budgeting methodology (School PB) for the first time in Georgia. Tbilisi public school No. 177 and Zestaphoni public school No. 4...
Council of Europe continues civil participation campaign “Change the Scenario – Play Your Role” in municipalities
The information campaign “Change the Scenario – Play Your Role” events were organised in Gori and Borjomi to promote citizens’ engagement in local decision-making in the municipalities. Local population had a chance to participate in the forum theatre, which encouraged them to be involved in the...
Presentation of Needs Assessment Report on Mediation
On 12 July, the Council of Europe organised a meeting to present the needs assessment report on court-annexed and private mediation in civil cases in Georgia. The report emphasises several key recommendations, highlighting the need for a cohesive strategy and action plan with clearly defined...
Congress fosters dialogue between Public Defender and local authorities in Georgia
The Georgian Forum of Exchange met with the newly elected Public Defender of Georgia for the first time to discuss future co-operation on the localisation of human rights. Awareness raising, exchange of good practices, and strengthened multilevel dialogue were identified as common priorities....
Presentation of a Monitoring Tool to Assess Prevention of Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence in Georgia
On July 10th, a monitoring tool – specifically crafted to evaluate the impact of prevention mechanisms, including gathering essential data concerning the prevention of violence against women (VAW) and domestic violence (DV) – was launched. Developed for the Public Defender’s Office with the...
Congress continues efforts on developing anti-discrimination practices and policies at local level in Georgia through capacity building event on codes of ethics and internal anti-discrimination practices for local administration
Co-organised with the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia in Kakheti on 6-7 July, the workshop was dedicated to supporting decision-makers at municipal level in working on their own codes of ethics and conduct. Participants were offered an opportunity for self-assessment based on...
Workshop on Peculiarities of communication with minors and other vulnerable labour groups
On July 5-6, a 1-day workshop was held for two groups of employees of the Labour Inspection Office, which aimed to familiarise them with the peculiarities of communication with minors and other vulnerable groups of labour, which will help the employees of the Labour Inspection Office to develop...
Georgia meets Austria: Study visit on civil participation
In the framework of the project “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at Local Level in Georgia”, 15 representatives from 8 Georgian municipalities visited different participatory projects in Austria from 23 to 26 May 2023. A 4-day study visit to Austria offered Georgian...
Human rights and citizen engagement at the heart of local democracy in Georgia
The 4th Steering Committee meeting of the project "Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at Local Level in Georgia" was successfully held on 5 July in Telavi, Georgia. Along with the core members of the Steering Committee, the meeting was attended by the associate members from...
Workshop on Sexual Harassment and Mechanisms of Response
Discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace are still relevant issues. Considering this, the Labour Inspection Office started the current year with a new division. In the Department of Supervision of Labour Rights, a new division of supervision on the issues of workplace discrimination,...
Interagency cooperation on data collection and analysis of hate crimes continues
The Council of Europe Office in Georgia supported a working meeting on July 4, 2023, to discuss amendments to the memorandum on data collection regarding hate crimes and analyse the unified report of statistics. The meeting gathered representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs,...
Launch of the HELP Course on Hate Crime and Hate Speech for Georgian Lawyers
On 30 June 2023, the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) course on Hate Crime and Hate Speech was launched for Georgian lawyers as part of the Project on Enhanced Access to Legal Aid Services for Marginalised Population. The attendees of the meeting included the Director and the...
Civic education schoolteachers from Adjara discussed new approaches to promote active engagement of youth in elections
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...
Training for Civil and Criminal Mediators to Improve Negotiation Skills
35 mediators enhanced their ability to negotiate effectively between the parties through a training activity organised on 30 June. The aim of the training was to help mediators prepare for mediation and facilitate mutually satisfactory agreements between parties involved in disputes, ultimately...
The first Georgian anti-SLAPP conference took place in Tbilisi
On 29 June 2023, the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts, hosted the first Georgian anti-SLAPP Conference related to the topics of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). Stefan Sirbu, the Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Eduard Marikashvili, Head of the Georgian...
Georgia meets Denmark to improve monitoring of places of detention
On 26-29 June 2023, 10 representatives of the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia (PDO), including the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), and of the Georgian Ministry of Justice (the General Inspection Division and Monitoring Department of the Special Penitentiary Service) carried a study visit...
Behavioral Science for Successful Dispute Resolution
Mediators of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Execution of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation enhanced their knowledge on behavioural science perspective on unconscious processes in mediation. The training was organized on 29 June and the aim of the activity was to increase the...
The first Georgian anti-SLAPP conference will take place in Tbilisi
On Thursday, 29 June 2023, at 09:30, at the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts (Conference Hall), the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Georgian Democracy Initiative, will host the first Georgian anti-SLAPP Conference, aimed at discussing the topics related to the Strategic Lawsuits Against...
Resource Officers of Education Institutions have become qualified human rights educators
The Council of Europe office in Georgia continues supporting the implementation of the Training of Trainers on Human Rights Education for the resource officers of Educational Institutions. The trainings were carried out in 2 stages on June 18-22 and June 26-28. Within the framework of the...
Equality Ambassadors designed new initiatives for their communities
The Equality Ambassadors held a two-day meeting in Borjomi to discuss their upcoming initiatives, plans and ways to overcome challenges within their activities. During the meeting, they met with the representatives of the Public Defender’s Office in Georgia, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry...
Overview of the practice of the European Committee of Social Rights and the European Court of Human Rights
Protection of social and economic rights is an important part of the national legislation and Constitution of Georgia. Despite the legislative and institutional changes implemented in the last couple of years, challenges remain in the field of protection of rights in labour relations. It is...
The Council of Europe is implementing a project “Strengthening independence and professionalism of justice in Georgia”.
This project aims at promoting Council of Europe and international standards in the field of justice, as well as to build the capacity of state authorities, legal and law enforcement professionals to adapt domestic legislation framework in line with international standards, and to apply those...
The Council of Europe and Tbilisi Open Air Came Together Again for Human Rights
For the third time, the Council of Europe and Open Air Festival collaborated to promote human rights at one of the most vibrant and popular music events in Georgia on 23-25 June. Teams of four projects of the Council of Europe have joined forces to showcase the activities at the “Human Rights...
The Congress promotes accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities
The Congress brought together representatives from 17 Georgian local authorities to foster the effective localisation of disability rights on 23 June 2023. The aim was to empower local authorities in effectively implementing Georgia's new Law on the Rights of the People with Disabilities. The...
The Council of Europe and Tbilisi Open Air Come Together Again for Human Rights
For the third time, the Council of Europe and Open Air Festival collaborate to promote human rights at one of the most vibrant and popular music events in Georgia on 23-25 June. Teams of four projects of the Council of Europe have joined forces to showcase the values they promote and activities...
Labour Inspectors and representatives from Public Defender’s Office successfully completed the online HELP course
Knowledge of labour relations regulating norms among socio-economic rights is of crucial importance for labour law professionals, especially for labour inspectors who on the daily basis are dealing with control of the compliance of established labour standards as well as on the other hand...
Representatives of Georgian municipalities are better informed on importance of corruption prevention in the public sector
The representatives of local municipalities of Georgia have an important role in the development and implementation of anti-corruption policies and promoting integrity tools. To support a better understanding and implementation of the anti-corruption framework at the local level, the Council of...
Media development and new approaches in covering elections in digital times - were discussed among election officials and journalists from different regions of Georgia
The Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Georgian Central Election Commission and the Supreme Election Commission of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, organised a conference on “Media Development and new approaches in covering electoral processes” which took place on 15-16 June 2023, in...
Summer School on “Constitutional and Human Rights Law”
The Council of Europe and the European Union in the framework of partnership with the USAID/Georgia Rule of Law Program continue supporting organisation of Summer School on “Constitutional and Human Rights Law”. This year the summer school will focus on different models of judicial...
Trainers training on Effective Investigation and Prosecution of Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Sixteen representatives from the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Supreme Court attended the three-day training of trainers, - „Effective Investigation and Prosecution of Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation„ (ToT),' organized by the Office...
Call for Tender - deadline extended to 15 July
The Council of Europe is implementing a project “Strengthening independence and professionalism of justice in Georgia”. Specific objectives of the project are: Enhancing independence, transparency, accountability of the judicial system and impartiality of judges; Strengthening capacity of...
Discussion on the legislation and practice of Georgia regarding the protection and safety of journalists
On 12 June 2023, at the initiative of the Council of Europe, a roundtable meeting was organised on the topics of safety and protection of journalists. Key findings of the study “Review of the legal and policy framework of Georgia with regard to the protection and safety of journalists” were...
