On 8 and 9 April 2014 the Council of Europe will organise a regional conference in Tbilisi in the framework of the European Union / Council of Europe Joint Programme "Strengthening the capacity of lawyers and human rights defenders for domestic application of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and of the Revised European Social Charter (RESC)".

Representatives of bar associations and human rights NGOs, as well as state institutions involved in the education of lawyers form Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine, will discuss a broad range of issues related to human rights defenders' capacities. The issues will include national systems of human rights training for lawyers, the use of technology in such trainings, methods for assessing on-going training needs, cooperation between lawyers and human rights NGOs, as well as specific issues related to combating discrimination.

Speakers will include experts from the Council of Europe, national bar associations, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).

This two day conference will take place at the "Holiday Inn" hotel and will begin at 10 am on 8 April.