Newsroom
Training of public defenders in Belarus
MINSK 29 November 2000
MINSK, 29 November 2000 - The OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group is currently implementing a project on the "Training of Public Defenders and Support to the Independent Legal Sector", funded by the European Union and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
One of the components of the project is training seminars for public defenders, and two leading human rights NGOs, namely the "Belarusian Helsinki Committee" and "Legal Assistance to Population", have been selected to hold of series of seminars - both in the regions and in the city of Minsk. Jointly, they have published a Handbook for Public Defenders, which will be distributed at the seminars and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Justice and other government institutions of the Republic of Belarus.
Two seminars were held on 25 and 26 November 2000 in Glubokoye, Vitebsk Oblast, and in Molodechno, Minsk Oblast, by Belarusian Helsinki Committee. The seminars were attended by a total of 60 people, representing members of human rights organisations active in the region, advocates, journalists and city authorities. Seminars for public defenders will be also held in 15 other cities and towns of Belarus, including Orsha, Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Soligorsk, Svetlogorsk, Lida, Novogrudok and all Oblast centres.
The seminar programme is expected to be completed by February, 2001, and will be marked by a final two-day seminar in Minsk. This will be held jointly by the "Belarusian Helsinki Committee" and "Legal Assistance to Population" and will focus on more advanced training for the most active participants chosen from the regional seminars.
Copies of the Handbook for Public Defenders can be obtained free-of-charge from the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group's office in Minsk.
For further information, please contact Andrew Carpenter, Political Counsellor, OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, Prospekt Gasety Pravda 11, 220116 Minsk, Belarus, tel.: + 375 17 272 34 97, fax: + 375 17 272 34 98 , e-mail: osceamg@osce.org.by
One of the components of the project is training seminars for public defenders, and two leading human rights NGOs, namely the "Belarusian Helsinki Committee" and "Legal Assistance to Population", have been selected to hold of series of seminars - both in the regions and in the city of Minsk. Jointly, they have published a Handbook for Public Defenders, which will be distributed at the seminars and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Justice and other government institutions of the Republic of Belarus.
Two seminars were held on 25 and 26 November 2000 in Glubokoye, Vitebsk Oblast, and in Molodechno, Minsk Oblast, by Belarusian Helsinki Committee. The seminars were attended by a total of 60 people, representing members of human rights organisations active in the region, advocates, journalists and city authorities. Seminars for public defenders will be also held in 15 other cities and towns of Belarus, including Orsha, Polotsk, Novopolotsk, Soligorsk, Svetlogorsk, Lida, Novogrudok and all Oblast centres.
The seminar programme is expected to be completed by February, 2001, and will be marked by a final two-day seminar in Minsk. This will be held jointly by the "Belarusian Helsinki Committee" and "Legal Assistance to Population" and will focus on more advanced training for the most active participants chosen from the regional seminars.
Copies of the Handbook for Public Defenders can be obtained free-of-charge from the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group's office in Minsk.
For further information, please contact Andrew Carpenter, Political Counsellor, OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, Prospekt Gasety Pravda 11, 220116 Minsk, Belarus, tel.: + 375 17 272 34 97, fax: + 375 17 272 34 98 , e-mail: osceamg@osce.org.by