Under the guidance of the PGG project on anti-corruption in the country, the management team of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) identified opportunities to advance the expertise of the CSB so that it strengthens its performance. The CSB supports the implementation of the anti-corruption policy amongst civil servants in Georgia and one of its main responsibilities is the management of the asset and interest declaration scheme for public officials.
Trainings, in hybrid or online formats, were organised for Georgian law enforcement agencies to improve their skills on economic crime cases as well as contribute to the efforts by Georgian authorities in implementing MONEYVAL recommendations on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism.

ARMENIA

A grant, aiming to contribute to the empowerment of persons with disabilities by challenging the negative stereotypes existing at the society level and informing them about the most recent legislative developments in the country was implemented over the period December 2021-June 2022. In the concluding event, project beneficiaries, representatives from local authorities and civil society organisations supported full inclusion for all members of society in the Lori region. The message “We are all equal but different” was promoted through a mural and a billboard in prominent areas of Vanadzor.

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

The Study on perceptions and attitudes towards equality measured the attitudes and perceptions of the population towards different persons and vulnerable groups. According to the data of the study, 64 % of respondents would exclude LGBT+ persons from the Republic of Moldova, 60 % of respondents would exclude the Roma people. On the opposite pole, the least marginalized are people who do not speak the state language and people of Russian ethnicity. The results of the study were presented during the conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary since the adoption of the Law on Ensuring Equality.

Articles from the joint European Union/Council of Europe campaign on hate speech held in the country, won the Tulip Press Award 2022 under the Online/Written Press category. Through these awards, the Center for Independent Journalism with the Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, highlight the efforts of journalists addressing human rights issues in their materials.

AZERBAIJAN

The role of parliamentarians in promoting standards on violence against women and in raising awareness on the topic in the society as well as pointing into the right direction for policy and legislative changes was emphasised in the event organised in co-operation with the State Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs.

More than 250 law students and professors attended the event organised in co-operation with the Faculty of Law of Baku State University, aiming to increase awareness among law students and professors on the Council of Europe standards on violence against women and domestic violence, including the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention.

A number of trainings were organised with the objective to enhance the knowledge on: the new criminal procedural legislation of Armenia for judges, judiciary of the Court of Cassation and investigators; on ethics for Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers.

Two round table discussions were held on the Decision SJC-65-VO-165 (30 August 2021) of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Republic of Armenia ''On prescribing benchmark periods of the average duration of case examination as per individual types and complexity of cases'' and on the draft Judicial and Legal Reforms Strategy for 2022-2026 of the Republic of Armenia with the participation of the judiciary.