On September 30, 2020, Natia Zaalishvili, Training Center Director, held a meeting with the representatives of the NDI Long-term Observer Analysts’ Mission. During the meeting held in an onlain format the awareness raising and training programs planned and already implemented by the CEC and the Training Center for October 31, 2020 Elections were discussed.

Training Center Director spoke about the intensive trainings concept developed for professional development of district and precinct election commissions; furthermore, the importance of the development of electoral capacity of electoral stakeholders was underscored; in this area Training Center Director familiarized the participants with awareness-raising and training programs developed in cooperation between the CEC and the Training Center; these trainings are designed, among others, for potential women candidates, local observer organizations, electoral subjects and mass media representatives.

Furthermore, meeting participants were briefed about the new distant electronic training program developed by the CEC and the Training Center, with the support of the Council of Europe in Georgia for October 31, 2020 Elections. The goal of this training is to raise awareness of civil servants about unlawful use of administrative resources and the prevention of violation of pre-election campaign rules.

The Training Center Director informed the representatives of the Mission about educational programs and awareness-raising campaign designed for voters, including, for young voters. During the meeting, completed and ongoing awareness-raising and training programs run in cooperation of the Election Administration and Training Center with NGOs through grant projects were discussed; they are in line with the recommendations of the international observer organizations and take account of informing project beneficiaries (representatives of political parties, youth, women, ethnic minorities, PWD voters) around various important electoral topics, such as: guiding principles of the democratic electoral process (including, vote secrecy principle); electoral environment free from violence and hate speech; the effect of disinformation on credible electoral environment; ethics and professional standards of stakeholders; conducting pre-election campaign and limitations; inclusive electoral environment.

Considering the situation due to the pandemic, at the meeting the method of conducting awareness-raising and training programs was discussed during the meeting, which, based on the nature of programs, envisages holding trainings online (using electronic resources) as well as via in person format (in full compliance with the pandemic related recommendations).