Belarusian democratic forces and civil society representatives have today concluded a training course on European standards on equality and anti-discrimination. At an event in Strasbourg, 18 Belarusian trainees - activists, lawyers, media professionals and scholars - received certificates of accomplishment. A group of Belarusian experts also presented the results of their work over the past months: a glossary of key concepts on anti-discrimination and human rights, awareness-raising tools and training resources in Belarusian, adapted to the national context. These materials will enrich the Council of Europe's base of equality and non-discrimination tools.
The glossary encompassing new terminology in the field and other materials were created through a joint effort of Belarusian scholars, legal experts and linguists.
The training course was launched in December 2024 in Vilnius. Its objective was to strengthen the capacity of Belarusian democratic forces and civil society to understand and advocate for equality and inclusion, in line with the EU acquis and Council of Europe standards. The training covered functioning and mandates of European institutions; ECHR case-law and ECRI General Policy Recommendations; and collaborative approaches, networking opportunities and available support options in the field of anti-discrimination.
The programme combined three HELP online courses in the Belarusian language with workshops and practical assignments.
The initiative is part of the list of activities for 2024-25 agreed by the Council of Europe's contact group on Belarus.
The event contributes to the reflection on the next phase of Council of Europe support to Belarusian democratic and civil society actors.
Inclusion and anti-discrimination programmes
