Horizontal Facility - News
Željezničar and Borac players send message against hate speech and violence
Football fans in Bosnia and Herzegovina witnessed something greater than the game last night, when FK Željezničar and FK Borac faced off in Sarajevo. Just before kick-off, the players took to the pitch with a clear message: “We are against hate and violence in sport towards anyone.” This symbolic...
Sustainable rehabilitation in prison and probation systems discussed with authorities in Albania
Albanian prison authorities are committed to ensure the long-term use of newly developed tools for violent extremist offenders and adopt the necessary legislative framework for their application across the penitentiary and probation systems. This commitment was emphasized during recent...
Peer Exchange in Warsaw strengthens European response to SLAPP-s
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) pose a growing threat to media freedom and public participation across Europe. They are filed to intimidate, silence, or drain the resources of journalists, media workers, and activists who expose wrongdoing. To strengthen members...
Protecting those who speak out: Journalists and whistle-blowers in focus
Twenty-two lawyers from Bosnia and Herzegovina strengthened their capacity to defend journalists and whistle-blowers by engaging with European human rights standards and local legal practices during a recent two-day gathering held in Bihać. Through case studies from the European Court for Human...
Institutions in Serbia discuss challenges in the enforcement of judgments in family law matters
How can the relationship between a child and the parent with whom the child does not live be maintained, and how can court decisions in family disputes be enforced without delay? This key question was at the centre of a roundtable that brought together representatives of the Constitutional Court,...
New Trauma Informed Therapy brings hope to women prisoners in Albania
For the first time, women prisoners in Albania are benefiting from a structured Trauma-Informed Therapy programme, focusing on mental health, resilience, and dignity in prison rehabilitation. With the support of the EU and Council of Europe and in partnership with the Directorate General of...
Safeguarding freedom of expression at the heart of Bihać judicial discussions
Top of FormJudges and prosecutors from across Bosnia and Herzegovina have strengthened their knowledge on the European standards for the protection of whistleblowers and journalists during a two-day training aimed at safeguarding freedom of expression and the public interest. Through the analysis...
Albanian supervisory institutions strengthen fight against criminal infiltration and money laundering
Given the evolving risk of infiltration of organised crime and its sophisticated forms in economic and social life, the role of supervisory institutions remains crucial. To assist Albanian authorities, a two-day training was organised in Tirana under the joint European Union/Council of Europe...
Constitutional Court ruling opens path to strengthen media regulator’s independence
Ensuring the independence of the media regulator and aligning the local legal framework with European standards were at the heart of discussions at a roundtable in Pristina, that brought together members and staff of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), civil society representatives, and...
Constitutional Court ruling opens path to strengthen media regulator’s independence
Ensuring the independence of the media regulator and aligning the local legal framework with European standards were at the heart of discussions at a roundtable in Pristina, that brought together members and staff of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), civil society representatives, and...
From admission to treatment: New training strengthens security staff in Sokolac forensic institution
Thirty security staff at the Sokolac Forensic Institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina have completed a new training programme that strengthens their role in ensuring patient safety and respect for human rights. Over four days, participants sharpened their skills in communication, de-escalation...
Montenegro Strengthens Court´s Response to sexual and gender-based violence
Guidelines for a harmonised approach to sentencing in cases of sexual and gender-based violence are being developed by a newly established working group of the Supreme Court of Montenegro. This initiative represents a significant step in strengthening the judiciary’s response to sexual and...
Police cadets from Bosnia and Herzegovina are redefining the badge
In the training yards and classrooms of the Police Academy of the Federal Ministry of Interior in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a quiet revolution has been unfolding. Here, future officers are learning that the badge they will soon wear is more than a symbol of authority - it is a pledge to protect the...
A small school with a big heart: how children in Kraljevo are learning inclusion by living it
When twelve-year-old Maša opened the door of her family home in Adrani, near Kraljevo, she wasn’t sure what to expect. A girl her age from Slovenia was about to stay with her as part of a school exchange. At first, the two were shy, carefully observing one another. But soon they found common...
Interactive page dedicated to Democratic Culture in Education on Serbia’s National Education Portal
The Institute for Improvement of Education of the Republic of Serbia, in close partnership with the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, announced the launch of the dedicated Democratic Culture in Education page on the official National Education Portal. This initiative, led by the Institute for...
A strong voice from Albania breaking disability barriers
Suela Lala, a prominent advocate for persons with disabilities in Albania, has spent over 15 years combating discrimination and promoting equality, focusing on accessibility, inclusion, and the protection of fundamental rights. She holds the position of the Executive Director of the “Së Bashku”...
Standing up against SLAPPs: Journalists and lawyers join forces in North Macedonia
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits filed not to seek justice, but to intimidate, silence, or drain the resources of journalists, media workers, and activists who expose wrongdoing. Often disguised as defamation or civil claims, SLAPPs exploit the legal system to...
Preventing and Combating Child Trafficking in North Macedonia: Stories of Resilience and Collaboration
When Jana (name changed for protection) arrived at SOS Children’s Village foster home, she carried only a small bag, and an invisible weight of fear, trauma, and mistrust. At just 15, she had endured months of exploitation by traffickers who had promised her “a better future.” Instead, she found...
‘One Team, One Goal’ football match kicks off new phase of ‘Block the Hatred. Share the Love!’ initiative
The second phase of the European Union and Council of Europe awareness raising initiative “Block the Hatred. Share the Love! 2.0” was launched today with a children’s football tournament at the FK Sloga stadium in Vukosavlje, bringing together boys and girls from five municipalities to promote...
A wall of words, a voice for tolerance
When graphic designers Kruna Jevtić and Luka Prstojević first sat down to brainstorm their latest project, before presenting it to the Council of Europe since commissioning it, they knew it needed to be more than just art. It had to speak- clearly, boldly, and without borders. And to speak words...
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