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Partnership for Good Governance 2019-2021
Newsletter 15 October-January 2020
Supporting the implementation of key judicial reforms
"PGG enabled us to strengthen our institutional capacity and create a better environment for the legal professionals in Georgia and we look forward to this future co-operation with the Council of Europe and the European Union" Giorgi Tshekhani, Executive Director of the Georgian Bar Association

With its goal of strengthening the efficiency and quality of justice, enhancing legislative framework and implementing mechanisms for judicial reforms, strengthening an effective system of judicial accountability based on European standards and good practices, learn more about how PGG has been helping the Justice sector in Georgia by watching a new series of interviews on our Youtube channel.
Giorgi TSHEKHANI, Executive Director, Georgian Bar Association
Nikoloz CHINKORASHVILI, Unit of European Integration and Cooperation with International Organization, General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia
“Support to further strengthening the efficiency and quality of the judicial system in the Republic of Moldova”
This country-specific project was launched at the National Institute of Justice of the Republic of Moldova mid-December. This 24-month project will assist Moldovan authorities in improving the functioning of the justice system through strengthened efficiency and quality of courts, and a better system of enforcement of court decisions.
“Supporting the criminal justice reform and harmonising the application of European standards”
In order to promote the criminal justice reform, several round table discussions on the draft Criminal Procedure (CPC) and Criminal (CC) Codes of Armenia were organised in Yerevan by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice in November-December 2019 under the auspices of the project “Supporting the criminal justice reform and harmonising the application of European standards”. These exchanges on the draft Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia gathered various stakeholders, representatives of international organisations and civil society to discuss issues and proposals regarding the text of the draft Criminal Procedure Code.
Strenghtening the rule of law and anti-corruption mechanisms
On 16 October, the workshop on Assets Declaration System in Armenia in the frame of the PGG II Project on "Strengthening institutional capacities to fight and prevent corruption in Armenia" was held in Yerevan. The objective of the workshop was to present the findings and recommendations from the analysis of the Armenia’s assets declarations legal framework and discuss the possible solutions for further strengthening the assets declarations system with the relevant national authorities and the civil society organisations.
Promoting gender equality and non-discrimination
In the framework of the regional project "Strengthening access to justice through non-judiciary redress mechanisms for victims of discrimination, hate crime and hate speech in Eastern Partnership countries", a double-sided event took place in Chisinau early November, with both the launch of the project, gathering around 80 participants, and its first regional meeting, with over 40 people attending.

Here is a serie of interviews that was realised in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, with the beneficiaries and stakeholders of the project. Learn more about the regional project on "Anti-discrimination" by watching our serie on our Youtube channel.
Lusine Sargsyan, Trainer at the Academy of Justice, Armenia
Mentoring Programme for legal professionals
Council of Europe is pioneering the first Mentoring Programme for legal professionals in a regional PGG II project in Eastern Partnership countries. This Training of Mentors was held in the framework of the regional PGG II project “Women’s Access to Justice: Delivering on the Istanbul Convention and other European gender equality standards“.
PGG II Local Steering Committee in the Republic of Moldova
PGG II Local Steering Committees (LSC)
The first PGG II LSC round took place between September and October 2019 in all Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldodva and Ukraine) were dedicated to the presentation of the PGG projects’ results for 2019 and to discussion of the PGG future activities.

In each country, representatives from the European Union, the Council of Europe and the National authorities have discussed results from current and former activities and have agreed on future activities and objectives.

Learn more about 2019 Local Steering Committees in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
The Quick Response Mechanism
The Venice Commission adopted opinions financed under the Quick Response Mechanism. Learn more about the four most recent opinions the Venice Commission adopted in its last Plenary Sessions (6-7 December and11-12 October):
Newsletter - Access to justice for victims of discrimination
This newsletter will provide information, updates and good practices on discrimination, hate speech and hate crime related to the Eastern Partnership. The newsletter will be sent four times a year in English and Russian.
Brochures
Read our new brochures on PGG II and the QRM.
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This newsletter has been produced using the funds of a Joint Project between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of either party.

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