In the framework of the continuous assistance to public authorities in North Macedonia for the establishment and functioning of the External Oversight Mechanism, the EU and Council of Europe action “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia” organised a capacity building activity for the main stakeholders in the field. A total of 22 participants from the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecuting Organised Crime and Corruption, the Unit for Internal Control, Criminalistic Investigations and Professional Standards of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ombudsman’s Office, and three civil society organizations (the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, the Macedonian Young Lawyers’ Association and Eurothink Centre for European Strategies), attended the advanced training for the External Oversight Mechanism (EOM) stakeholders, which took place on 15-16 February 2024 in Skopje.

As a result, the participants expanded their knowledge on the applicable international standards and practices and further improved their skills in carrying out effective investigations into ill-treatment. The Government Agent to the European Court of Human Rights presented specific cases and detailed statistics with regard to Articles 2 - Right to life and Article 3 – Prohibition of Torture, of the European Convention on Human Rights, following which the stakeholders focused on the procedures in place and the provision of necessary statistical data.

Several cases from the EOM practice were discussed, allowing the participants to assess its performance up to date, at the same time identifying potential for further improvement of proceedings and cooperation. Considering the recent appointment of representatives of the civil society to the EOM, a separate session was organised for them focusing on applying the Guidebook for Effective Investigations.

In place since 2018, the Mechanism was established with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, to address cases where persons with police authority, while being on or off duty, use force, coercion or serious threats, leading to death, bodily injury, unlawful arrest, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

This training was conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, and its action “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”.