Civil council on Defense and Security (CCDS) and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) organized a planning workshop for MoD’s Suicide Prevention and Management Programme at the Defense Institution Building School (DIBS) in Tbilisi on 14 March 2024. The event was part of CCDS’s efforts to support MoD and the Georgian Defence Forces (GDF) in developing effective suicide prevention strategies. Over the past three years, CCDS has collaborated with international partners, including the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), to provide assistance to the ministry in this area. After the inception of the suicide prevention programme at MoD in 2022, the focus shifted to implementing training modules and piloting the programme within GDF divisions.
 
   At the workshop, attended by 30 military personnel from the 4th Infantry Brigade of GDF, participants and national experts deliberated on refining the Training of Trainers (ToT) module, establishing a supervision plan and enhancing the programme's effectiveness. Key outcomes included agreement to finalize the supervision plan, revise the training module and organize a workshop on implementation progress. In addition, It was agreed that the efforts will culminate with a conference at the end of the year to showcase achievements and engage with the wider public. This workshop underscored the commitment of all stakeholders to addressing the critical issue of suicide prevention within the defence sector.