Horizontal Facility - News
New schools join the Network for democratic school culture
A new group of schools in Central Bosnia Canton has joined the growing Network for Democratic School Culture, opening up more opportunities for students and teachers to build a culture of inclusivity and critical thinking. As part of this initiative, 16 teachers from Bugojno, Novi Travnik, and...
Marking European Justice Day with environmental protection and communication strategies workshop in Trebinje
Legal experts and local representatives gathered on 29 October 2024, to mark the European Justice Day at the Trebinje Basic Court and to explore how justice can safeguard environmental rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Marking European Justice Day under the title "Justice and Environmental...
Strengthening privacy rights in Serbia: Data protection staff trained in European standards
Finding the right balance between privacy and freedom of expression can be challenging, especially when journalists deal with sensitive information. The public’s right to know may sometimes conflict with personal privacy, particularly for public figures or concerning sensitive issues. The...
Boosting journalist safety: Prosecutors and police sharpen skills to better protect media workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Effective co-operation between prosecutors and police is essential to protect journalists and uphold freedom of expression. On 29-30 October in Neum, 21 prosecutors and police officers from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are designated points of contact for the safety of journalists, gained...
Public awareness raising initiative in North Macedonia to tackle the consequences of human trafficking for labour exploitation kicks-off in North Macedonia
“Maybe you are also involved in labour exploitation”
Labor exploitation affects vulnerable individuals who are coerced or deceived into exploitative work situations. Public authorities in North Macedonia and related actors in the field are committed to reduce the demand for services delivered by victims of human trafficking for the purpose of...
Strengthening legal advocacy on women’s rights in Türkiye
Legal experts and civil society representatives from nine cities in Türkiye are now equipped with key legal strategies to effectively use litigation as a tool to protect and promote women’s rights. This achievement follows an online training session held on 25 October 2024, attended by 13...
Workshop for Judicial Academy’s initial training beneficiaries on the application of the European Convention on Human Rights
Serbian Judicial Academy’s initial training beneficiaries are being equipped with practical knowledge on how to apply the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in domestic courts. In cooperation with the Judicial Academy of the Republic of Serbia, the joint European Union and Council of...
Combating hatred in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The European Union and the Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Rijaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, organised a series of two-day capacity-building events in October aimed at reducing and protecting from hate speech and hate crimes in local communities. Initiated by...
Photo and Drawing Competition on the occasion of European Justice Day
Let’s bring JUSTICE closer to the citizens!
The European Day of Justice is celebrated each year around 25 October. It aims to bring justice closer to citizens, to inform them on their rights and to promote the work of the European Union and Council of Europe in the field of access to justice. Since 2020, the European Day of Justice is...
Türkiye’s Human Rights and Equality Institution representatives enhance skills in immigration detention monitoring
Thirty-eight staff from the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye (HREIT) have improved their ability to monitor immigration detention places. This comes after a two-day training held in Ankara on 21-22 October. Organised as part of the European Union and Council of Europe’s joint...
A public initiative to raise awareness on the fight against child trafficking for forced marriages to kick off in North Macedonia
"Change Your Mind - Stay Out of the Vicious Circle”
Forced child marriage is one of the common types of human trafficking, spiralling out of the circle of poverty. A significant number of the child trafficking victims in North Macedonia are victims of trafficking for forced marriage. To raise public awareness about this crime in North Macedonia,...
Montenegro advances judicial reforms and strengthens victim protection, HF 7’ Steering Committee concluded
Montenegro continues to make progress in judicial reform and enhancing the protection of victims' rights, as concluded in the forth Steering Committee Meeting of the action "Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro" that took...
Kragujevac schools celebrate the day of education for democratic culture
Mentor school for Democratic Culture, “Dragisa Lukovic Spanac” from Kragujevac, together with six local schools, marked the Day of Education for Democratic Culture with a series of creative, student-led activities aimed at promoting tolerance, diversity, and empathy in schools and the wider...
Strengthening the legal reasoning of Montenegro’s Administrative Court
With the aim of strengthening the quality of decisions in administrative disputes, intensive capacity building course was delivered to 14 judges and 14 advisors of the Administrative Court of Montenegro, focusing on skills needed to make a well-reasoned and fair decision. Through practical,...
Curricula working group of the state institute for education improvement finalised connecting reference framework of competences for democratic culture with selected subjects of national curricula in Serbia
Schools across Serbia will soon have access to a valuable new resource: the second volume of Guidelines for the Integration of the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) in National Curricula. Developed by a team of education experts from the State Institute for the...
Psychological aid is changing lives of marginalised groups in Bosnia Herzegovina under the joint EU and Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye"
Free psychological support: A key to living authentically
"When I first consulted a psychologist, I felt lost. I couldn't openly talk about my feelings with anyone around me. I felt like I was suffocating in my own thoughts. Free psychological support was my only way out. Through conversations with a psychologist, I began to understand my feelings and...
New platform for reporting violence against LGBTI
A new website, stopmrznji.ba, has been launched as a crucial tool for reporting hate crimes and hate speech against LGBTI individuals in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This platform provides vital information and contacts for those who have experienced violence due to their sexual orientation or gender...
Gearing up for Hackathon on inclusion and digital citizenship in Podgorica
High school students from across Montenegro gathered on 11 October 2024 for an Info Day on the upcoming Hackathon on inclusion and digital citizenship. Organised by the Council of Europe’s Programme Office and the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, the event introduced participants to the...
Improving the free legal aid system in North Macedonia - 15th meeting of the National Co-ordination Body gathers in Skopje
The 15th meeting of the National Co-ordination Body for the implementation of the Law on Free Legal Aid (NCB), gathered in Skopje to discuss the most important challenges regarding the functioning of the free legal aid system in North Macedonia. Supported by the European Union and the Council of...
High-level officials of North Macedonia discussed necessary interventions following latest report of the Council of Europe Committee against Torture
In a high-level meeting, senior officials working on prison reform discussed the way forward to address the key challenges stemming from the main findings of the European Committee against Torture (CPT) 2023 report on North Macedonia. The event was attended by the State Secretary of the Ministry...