The Council of Europe announced the start of implementation of the action plan to support Belarusian democratic forces and civil society.

The plan, developed by the members of the contact group of the Council of Europe on Belarus, includes 15 projects, including training courses on human rights, seminars on the European Convention on Human Rights and familiarization trips for Belarusian lawyers to the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

Other projects include raising awareness on key issues, including abolition of the death penalty, non-discrimination, gender equality and combating violence against women.

An educational and practical seminar for journalists in exile is planned for March.

"The projects for 2023, which we agreed on in the contact group of the Council of Europe on Belarus, represent the most tangible and essential assistance, and I am proud that our organization plays the role of a pioneer in supporting democratic Belarus," said the Secretary General of the Council of Europe

The next, third meeting of the contact group will take place in June 2023.