Horizontal Facility - News
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...
Helping Roma community in North Macedonia with civil documentation and ensuring access to free legal aid
A series of five information sessions on focusing on the importance of civil documentation and access to free legal aid were conducted in Skopje (Shuto Orizari and Gazi Baba municipalities), Kičevo, Bitola, and Kumanovo. The activities conducted by the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association with...
Public discussion in Kichevo highlights the importance of anti-discrimination mechanisms
Citizens in Kichevo, coming from diverse ethnic backgrounds were part of another public discussion focusing on different protective mechanisms against discrimination. This activity comes after the successful and productive discussions with citizens in Prilep and Kumanovo, informing citizens and...
Learning from the Dutch experience: Helping victims of violent crimes get justice through compensation
A delegation from the recently established Commission for Monetary Compensation for Victims of Violent Crimes (the Commission), was part of a 3-days study visit to the Hague - Netherlands supported by the EU and Council of Europe. The visit aimed to study the Dutch best practices and discuss...
New Standard Operating Procedures in North Macedonia to ensure enhanced human rights safeguards and operational effectiveness
Prison Police officers and senior representatives of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions in North Macedonia have drafted the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Prison Police Intervention Teams. Introduced as a novelty in the 2024 amendments to the Law on Execution of...
Litigating for change: Training on legal strategies to promote women’s rights protection in Türkiye
As many as 41 lawyers from bar associations and civil society organisations (29 women, 12 men), joined forces in a specialised training to enhance their skills in strategic litigation. Their joint efforts aim to drive progress on women's rights and contribute to gender equality in Türkiye. Held...
Towards more comprehensive judicial response to domestic violence and violence against women in Montenegro
Judges and prosecutors from across Montenegro came together on 15-16 May for a specialised training aimed at improving the justice system’s response to domestic violence and violence against women. Organised in cooperation with the Judicial Training Centre, the workshop focused on strengthening...
New Albanian Supreme Court case law compendium published
A new case law compendium of the Supreme Court of Albania, covering the period from 2021 to 2024, has been published with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe. This new edition forms part of ongoing efforts to consolidate national jurisprudence and further contribute to...
Equipping trainers from Western Balkans and Eastern Europe with legal and technical tools to counter racial discrimination
An expert session was held to strengthen legal standards and practical tools for protecting individuals from discrimination in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions. This event is part of the recently initiated Training of Trainers programme. Bringing together over 30...
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