As part of the public consultation process to discuss the Draft Strategy for the Protection of Victims’ Rights and related Action Plan for its implementation, a round-table was held in Podgorica. Montenegro is in the final phase of developing its first national Strategy for the protection of victims’ rights aimed at systematically addressing the rights of all victims of crime and ensuring their comprehensive protection. Through the support of the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe – Horizontal Facility III, significant expert and technical assistance has been provided to the Ministry of Justice in Montenegro and the working group throughout this process, which required the alignment of domestic legislation and policies with international standards. “We now have a high-quality and sustainable document that will contribute to strengthening the rights of victims at the national level.”, said Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, Lejla Dervišagić.

The Director General of the Directorate for Criminal and Civil Legislation at the Ministry of Justice of Montenegro, Jelena Grdinić emphasised the importance of adopting this overarching strategic document, which aims to achieve full alignment with the EU Directive 2012/29/EU. She invited participants to contribute to the finalisation of the document through their comments and suggestions. The need for continued support was particularly highlighted, especially in the areas of expert and technical assistance.  The public consultations will remain open until 17 October, after which the document will be finalised taking into account the inputs provided during the public debate. The Strategy’s adoption is expected by the end of the year. This initiative is supported within the action “Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims’ rights in Montenegro”,  part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, which  enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards.