The Action “Enhancing Human Rights Policing in Kosovo*” co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe as part of the “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey” and implemented by the Council of Europe, was launched on 31 January 2017 in Pristina.

The Action aims at enhancing the human rights protection by the police and further strengthening the system of independent police control. It will support efforts aimed at combating ill-treatment and impunity in police through improving the legal and institutional framework, strengthening the capacity of police to apply European human rights standards in their daily work and further enhancing the system of independent and effective investigation of alleged cases of ill-treatment.

The welcoming addresses at the conference were delivered by: Mr Vahagn Muradyan, Deputy Head of Council of Europe Office in Pristina, Mr Riccardo Serri, Head of Political, Economic and EU Integration Section of the EU Office in Kosovo, Mr Abduselami Shkodra, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Mr Gerard Greneron, Police Programme Advisor at the Criminal Law Co-operation Unit of the Council of Europe.

More than 60 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kosovo Police, Police Inspectorate, the Ombudsman office, other Government officials, international organizations, as well as representatives from the NGO sector, were present at the event, followed with good media coverage.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.