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

10 October Bosnia and Herzegovina

"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...

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New platform for reporting violence against LGBTI

10 October 2024 Bosnia and Herzegovina

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...

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High-level officials of North Macedonia discussed necessary interventions following latest report of the Council of Europe Committee against Torture

North Macedonia 8 October 2024

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...

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Raising awareness on free legal aid for human trafficking victims in Montenegro

05 October 2024 Montenegro

A new awareness raising initiative in Montenegro is putting the spotlight on free legal aid available to victims of human trafficking. An important part of this initiative are multilingual informational leaflets designed to inform victims about their legal rights. Created in collaboration with...

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во Северна Македонија ќе отпочне јавната иницијатива за подигање на свеста за борбата против трговијата со деца за присилни бракови

„Промени го мислењето - остани надвор од маѓепсаниот круг“

4 октомври 2024 година, Прилеп, Северна Македонија

Присилниот детски брак е еден од најчестите видови на трговија со луѓе, кој произлегува од кругот на сиромаштијата. Значителен број од жртвите на трговија со деца во Северна Македонија се жртви на трговија со луѓе за принуден брак, кои често се сексуално злоупотребувани и трудово експлоатирани....

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New pilot module to counter SLAPPs introduced for legal professionals

3 October 2024 Prevalla/Prizren

As part of its ongoing commitment to advance protection of freedom of expression in line with European standards, the Council of Europe Office in Pristina introduced for legal professionals in Kosovo* an importanttraining curriculum focused on countering the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against...

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Montenegro takes action to strengthen local response to human trafficking and boost victim support

4 October 2024 Montenegro

In a move to combat human trafficking and protect victims’ rights, three workshops were organised across Montenegro in September — gathering local authorities, social welfare centers, labour inspections, law enforcement, and judicial representatives. As part of the Strategy for the Fight Against...

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Во Сараево се одржа дводневна конференција на Советот на Европа

ТРГОВЦИТЕ СО ЛУЃЕ СО ПОМОШ НА ТЕХНОЛОГИЈА РЕГРУТИРААТ, КОНТРОЛИРААТ И ЕКСПЛОАТИРААТ ЖРТВИ

03.10.2024 САРАЕВО

Како да се одговори на предизвиците што ги носи зголемената употреба на информатичките и комуникациските технологии (ИКТ) за регрутирање, контрола и експлоатација на жртви на трговија со луѓе? Повеќе од 60 домашни и регионални експерти се состанаа на дводневна конференција во Сараево на 2 и 3...

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Montenegro police to boost human rights standards with new procedures

27 September 2024 Podgorica, Montenegro

Police officers in Montenegro are stepping up efforts to protect human rights through the introduction of newly developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). During two days of training, held on 26-27 September in Bijelo Polje, middle management staff from the Regional Centre “North” were...

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Regional co-operation key to tackling discrimination and racism

26-28 September 2024 Podgorica

Law enforcement institutions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and the Republic of Moldova met in Podgorica on 26-28 September with the aim to address racism, discrimination, and the protection of minority groups, especially the LGBTI community. This...

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PRESS RELEASE

Advancing Serbia’s reform agenda in human rights, rule of law and democracy in line with European standards

26 September 2024 Belgrade, Serbia

Serbia has made progress on its reform agenda, ranging from strengthening human rights protections and anti-trafficking efforts to promoting equality, quality education for all, as well as safeguarding freedom of expression- all in the framework of the EU and Council of Europe joint programme,...

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Towards ending discrimination against blind chess players

24 SEPTEMBER 2024 BELGRADE

Representatives from Serbia’s Ministry of Sport and the Government Agent before the ECtHR, as relevant government officials, and experts from the Council of Europe's Department for the Execution of Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, gathered in Belgrade on 24 September 2024 to...

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Equality bodies, public authorities and civil society organisations in Albania to join forces in the efforts to combat discrimination and hatred

23 September 2024 Tirana

Partners and beneficiaries of the action on Advancing the Protection from Discrimination in Albania valued the contribution of this co-operation initiative of the European Union and Council of Europe, that aims to bring forward the effects of the reforms in the field of anti-discrimination and...

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Software to support a more efficient system of treatment of prisoners launched for the beneficiaries of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

18-19 September 2024 Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

For the first time in a prison of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation an Integrated Prison Management Information System (IPMIS) was put into function. This prison software together with the procurement of hardware equipment was developed with the support of the EU and Council of Europe...

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PRESS RELEASE

Advancing Albania’s Reform Agenda, in line with European values: Human Rights and Democracy in the Spotlight

24 September 2024 TIRANA

The programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, a core co-operation initiative of the European Union and Council of Europe, is a fundamental instrument in the hands of the public authorities in Albania to bring forward protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,...

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New course on combating trafficking in human beings in Serbia

19 September 2024 Belgrade

To support lawyers in effective protection of victims of trafficking and prosecuting perpetrators, a new HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) course has been launched within the action “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in Serbia”, in co-operation with the Serbian Bar...

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Serbia Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media enhances knowledge on advertising standards

5 September 2024, Belgrade/Serbia

Representatives of the Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) had the opportunity to learn more on commercial communications and explore possibilities for co-regulation and self-regulation in various areas. The training was designed to provide an overview of the European...

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Joining forces with women's organisations to combat violence against women in Türkiye

18 September 2024, Online

In the efforts to support civil society organisations in Türkiye to improve the accessibility and quality of legal aid services for women, an online discussion was organised with the support of European Union and Council of Europe. 34 civil society representatives (29 women and 5 men) exchanged...

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Montenegro judges and media unite to improve court transparency

20 September 2024 Podgorica

In a groundbreaking initiative, judges and media professionals in Montenegro met in Podgorica for the first time to strengthen collaboration on the dissemination of information from court proceedings. During the two-day event, participants delved into pressing issues, including the Council of...

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Advancing support to legal professionals in the efforts to improve women’s access to justice in the Western Balkans

17 September 2024 Western Balkans

The Mentoring Programme for legal professionals, an initiative of the EU and Council of Europe regional action “Women’s access to justice in the Western Balkans”, proved to be a unique tool for equipping justice professionals including judges and prosecutors with necessary resources to champion...

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