“Local authorities’ innovative interventions can help to reduce social and economic inequalities and discrimination as well as to strengthen participation and trust on the ground“, stated Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, at the launch event of the learning path on anti-discrimination policies and practices for local authorities in Georgia.

Co-organised with the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia in Tbilisi on 23 February, the workshop was dedicated to identifying effective tools and mechanisms for developing and updating policies and practices for anti-discrimination and inclusion of underrepresented individuals and groups. 75 representatives of national and local authorities, including the representatives of Ministry of regional development and infrastructure, the administration of the government, and the Public Defender’s Office, shared their perspectives for future engagement in efficient anti-discrimination strategies and actions. For this purpose, local authorities representatives elaborated and adopted a checklist for the effective development or review of policies to combat discrimination, improve social inclusion, and strengthen the participation of underrepresented groups in decision-making processes.

The event was the first step within an unprecedented learning path on anti-discrimination for local authorities that includes a series of workshops, a roundtable, and online learning tools for peer-exchange and learning. The learning path will focus on strengthening capacities for developing sustainable and innovative anti-discrimination policies and measures, such as inclusive public campaigns, and codes of ethics within public administration.

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