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Montenegro’s Constitutional and Supreme Courts take part in the 10th session of the Superior Courts Network
The representatives of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts of Montenegro participated in the 10th session of the Superior Courts Network (SCN), held in Strasbourg on 5–6 June 2025. Established by the European Court of Human Rights in 2015, the Superior Courts Network is a unique judicial...
Hate speech and bullying have no place in our communities and certainly not in our schools
As key agents of change in shaping both the present and the future, young people have an important role in combating hate speech, bullying and other types of harassment. In this context, several workshops were organised during May and June, across three primary schools in the Municipality of...
Constitutional and Supreme Courts in Albania participate in the annual meeting of the Council of Europe Superior Courts Network
Representatives of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts of Albania participated in the 10th session of the Superior Courts Network (SCN), held in Strasbourg on 5–6 June 2025. Ama Kraja, from the Constitutional Court, and Emirjam Ahmetaga, representative of the Supreme Court, attended the session...
Constitutional Court of Montenegro deepens expertise and co-operation through Zagreb study visit
A delegation from the Constitutional Court of Montenegro, led by its President Snežana Armenko, paid an official visit to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia in Zagreb to exchange experiences and strengthen regional judicial co-operation. During the visit, the Montenegrin...
Prisons and probation services across the Western Balkans embrace tools for addressing radicalisation and violent extremism
Tools and programmes, specifically tailored to identify and prevent prison radicalisation and to help individuals disengage from use of violence, have proven to be highly effective in the Western Balkans. The prison staff recognises its reliability in identifying, diagnosing and assisting the...
Joint Efforts under the “Journalists Matter” Campaign to Advance Media Freedom in North Macedonia
Ensuring the safety of journalists and upholding freedom of expression remain vital pillars of a thriving democracy and important priorities in the framework of the Council of Europe and European Union support to local beneficiaries. In North Macedonia, public actors are intensifying their...
A school where democracy grows: Prijedor students lead the way in building dialogue and trust
With the opening of the first Resource Centre for Democratic School Culture in Republika Srpska, the Catering and Economics School in Prijedor is showing how democratic values can be learned—and lived—through collaboration between students, teachers, and the local community. In the heart of...
Pilot courts prepare for first internal satisfaction surveys in line with European standards
Representatives of five pilot courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina (from Brčko, Cazin, Livno, Sokolac, and Trebinje) attended an expert workshop on 30 May 2025 on the importance and models for conducting internal satisfaction surveys in courts. The workshop, organised by the European Commission for...
Strengthening regulation of hate speech and harmful content in Serbia: Council of Europe hosts training for Serbia’s media regulator
In light of ongoing challenges related to online discourse and increasing societal tensions across Europe, the Council of Europe in Belgrade hosted a three-day training for staff of Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), focusing on effective responses to hate speech and...
Advancing anti-SLAPP standards: Bilateral institutional and judicial exchange held in Podgorica
In a bid to align with European standards on freedom of expression and protection of public participation, representatives from judicial and justice institutions met in Podgorica to discuss effective responses to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The two-day event convened...
Strengthening Prison Staff Capacities to Manage Violent Extremist Prisoners in Albania
Penitentiary staff plays a key role in dealing with violent extremist prisoners (VEPs), both in terms of rehabilitation and ensuring institutional security. As part of the continuous efforts to build and strengthen the capacities of prison practitioners in Albania and ensuring long-term success...
United against discrimination in Serbia: Equality Commissioner and the Council of Europe driving change
From classrooms to newsrooms, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and the Council of Europe in Serbia are working side by side to challenge discrimination and promote inclusion. The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality in Serbia, Brankica Janković, reflects on years of...
Council of Europe expert highlights gaps and solutions to counter SLAPPs at Belgrade conference
Dr. Dragan Sekulovski, Council of Europe expert and Executive Director of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, presented key findings from the Council of Europe Regional Baseline Assessment of Legislative and Policy Needs for Implementing Council of Europe and EU Standards on Countering...
European Court of Human Rights judges share insights with Serbian peers at annual judiciary gathering
Three Judges from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) joined over a thousand members of the Serbian judiciary in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia, from 21 to 24 May, reaffirming the importance of aligning domestic judicial practices with European human rights standards. These include Mateja Đurović...
Western Balkan judicial institutions aim for efficient judicial systems through digital transformation
Judicial institutions from across the Western Balkans joined forces in Neum to explore how digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) can modernise court systems, improve access to justice, and ensure greater transparency. Organised by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice...
Advancing Women’s Access to Justice in the Western Balkans: Reflections on the Swedish experience
From 18-21 May 2025, judges and prosecutors, successful graduates of the Mentoring Programme for Legal Professionals on Women’s Access to Justice, from the six Beneficiaries in the Western Balkans, participated in a study visit to Stockholm, Sweden. The visit focused on how Sweden mainstreams...
Empowering correctional service staff to address radical influences among vulnerable youth
- Youth are particularly vulnerable to radical ideologies and violent extremism due to factors such as identity challenges, peer influence, and exposure to harmful online content, especially in the social media. The risk is especially high for the young people, already subject to correctional and...
Towards a sustainable training network in the prisons of Albania, through the development of local trainers
25 penitentiary staff from all prisons in Albania, including trainers in the field and experienced prison police and psycho- social staff gathered in Tirana in a 3-days capacity building activity. This is an important step forward in the process of building a network of trainers in all prisons of...
Intercultural cities in Serbia: working together for inclusion
Arandjelovac, Prijepolje and Sjenica are the first municipalities in Serbia to use the intercultural cities (ICC) index to evaluate and improve how they promote inclusion, diversity and intercultural dialogue at the local level. The results of the ICC Index for the three towns were presented and...
Celebrating Pride and Standing Up for Equality – IDAHOT kicks off in Albania
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) will be marked in Albania during a vibrant month-long series of events, celebrating diversity, equality, and the rights of LGBTI people. Under the theme “Side by Side!”, the European Union and the Council of Europe's...
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