The first on-site visit in the framework of the Council of Europe assessment of the existing capacity building programmes for judges and mediators in line with the best practices of the Council of Europe member states, was held in Podgorica. Key representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Association of Mediators of Montenegro, the Council of Europe project team, and international consultants took place in the discussion. The mission was organised under the European Union-Council of Europe Joint action “Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims` rights in Montenegro.”

The training needs assessment has a two-pronged objective. On the one hand, it aimed at identifying the nature and extent of the training needs of mediators and judges – mediators and the other at assessing the capacities of the Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution for training delivery.  During the mission, the Council of Europe consultants met with the Director General for Civil and Criminal legislation at the Ministry of Justice, management of the Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution and president of the Association of Mediators of Montenegro were held to discuss the approach to capacity-building in the field of mediation and arbitration. They presented the objectives of the assessment which is to be carried out within the scope of the relevant activity and facilitated two focus groups with mediators and mediation trainers to identify and analyse mediators' needs for advanced and specialized training courses. Meetings with international ADR trainers and local Council of Europe consultant involved in the delivery of ADR training programmes for mediators under Horizontal Facility II were organised as well.

The action "Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro" is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.”