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Partnership for Good Governance
Highlights | January-April 2025

This overview highlights key activities and achievements in the Eastern Partnership region from January to April 2024, as part of the EU/Council of Europe joint programme Partnership for Good Governance.

FOCUS: LOCAL STEERING COMMITEE MEETINGS
FOCUS: LOCAL STEERING COMMITEE MEETINGS

The Partnership for Good Governance local steering committee meetings held with the European Union and the national authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan, affirmed the importance of the programme’s initiatives in key areas that improve the life of citizens.

ARMENIA
>> Read more about the meeting.
>> Download the factsheets of the results obtained in the country as part of the current phase of the Partnership for Good Governance. Available in English and in Armenian.

AZERBAIJAN
>> Read more about the meeting.
>> Download he factsheet of the first results obtained in Azerbaijan under the current phase of the Partnership for Good Governance in English and in Azerbaijani.

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PROMOTING EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Building a safer and more inclusive society for all individuals in the country, by establishing a discussion platform between state authorities and civil society organisations on LGBTI rights.
In collaboration with the National Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, needs were identified, and future actions were outlined. This collaborative effort is expected to enhance the development of more effective public policies and strategies aimed at ensuring sustainable protection of LGBTI people in the country.

Read more about this event ›

Collaborative efforts between public and local authorities to create more inclusive societies were promoted during the discussions held between municipal counsellors, police officers, social workers, and activists from civil society organisations from the Republic of Moldova and Italy, on the theme "Città contro l’odio" (Cities against hate). This collaborative initiative fostered the exchange of local experiences and the work to combat hatred and promote inclusion, especially for the most vulnerable members of society.

Read more about the exchanges ›
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COUNTERING ECONOMIC CRIME
REGIONAL
REGIONAL

With the aim to foster more transparent, accountable, and efficient governance systems to prevent and combat corruption, anti-corruption practitioners, policymakers and experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine, joined an international workshop on corruption risk assessment approaches held in Strasbourg, France.

Read more about the workshop ›
REGIONAL
ARMENIA
Enhancing the national response to economic crime can be achieved by identifying and reporting suspicious activities. To support this effort, capacity building initiatives were organised for representatives from the legal, real estate and gambling sectors. The goal is to improve compliance of national regulations and align them with relevant international standards.
Read more about the trainings ›
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STRENGTHENING JUSTICE
AZERBAIJAN
AZERBAIJAN

The improvement of the quality of justice through mediation is being further supported through the launch of a new course. The new Council of Europe's Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) programme course is launched in collaboration with the Mediation Council and the Academy of Justice of Azerbaijan and will benefit 50 mediators from across the country.

Read more about the new course ›
UKRAINE

The promotion of the Constitutional Court as an independent and respected institution is especially crucial during times of war. This effort can be further advanced through the adoption of ethical rules for constitutional court judges. The recent round-table brought together representatives of Ukrainian authorities, judges, legal professionals, and Council of Europe experts to collaborate on this important initiative.

Read more about the round-table ›

The development of the constitutional justice in Ukraine was at the centre of discussions held during the visit of the Council of Europe in France, and the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg by a delegation from the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.

Read more about the visits ›
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GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S ACCESS TO JUSTICE
ARMENIA
ARMENIA

As part of the mentoring programme for legal professionals to improve women’s access to justice, the Armenian Academy of Justice and the Administrative Court confirmed their commitment to train additional mentors in the country. Over 300 informal gender focal points are now part of the regional network established across judiciaries in the Eastern Partnership countries through the programme.

Read more about the programme ›
AZERBAIJAN

Law enforcement officers in the country improve their skills to address effectively domestic violence cases and accompany victims. A Council of Europe Human Rights Educational for Legal Professionals (HELP) course was launched in an adapted version. It consists of three key modules that explore the various forms and impacts of violence, emphasise victim-centred responses, and provide essential investigative techniques.

Read more about the training ›
AZERBAIJAN
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QUICK RESPONSE MECHANISM

The Quick Response Mechanism (QRM) is a Partnership for Good Governance tool, by which the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and other Council of Europe bodies may provide ad hoc legal and policy advice to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, linked to priority reforms on: strengthening justice, countering economic crime, promoting equality and non-discrimination and advancing women’s access to justice and combating violence against women.

At its 142nd plenary session (held on 14-15 March 2025), the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe adopted, among others:

ARMENIA

 

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

 
Read more ›
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RESOURCES: WHAT IS NEW?
RESOURCES: WHAT IS NEW?

In this video, the Armenian Corruption Prevention Commission explains how the EU and Council of Europe joint support, as part of the Partnership for Good Governance, is enhancing the integrity of the public sector for citizens in Armenia.

Watch the video available in Armenian and English ›
STAY UPDATED: FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
STAY UPDATED: FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the Partnership for Good Governance Facebook and X accounts for all the latest information on the support of the programme to Eastern Partnership countries’ domestic reforms to strengthen justice, counter economic crime, promote equality and non-discrimination, advance women’s access to justice and combat violence against women.

The highlights were produced with the financial support of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author(s). Views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.

 

MORE INFORMATION:
Partnership for Good Governance Co-ordination Team
Directorate of Programme Co-ordination
Council of Europe
Avenue de l'Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
France

Partnership for Good Governance