Having in mind the whole situation at the Balkans, and the new tasks confronting with the implementation of international treaties signed by countries of Former Yugoslavia, at certain point there was a need for spreading the knowledge on international treaties and their implementation in national judicial system and before the international and European courts.

Facing with numerous legal provisions enacted in this transitional EU-streaming period and with structural deficiencies the legal system is still having troubles with the sufficient protection of human rights. Knowing that there has to be done something to make judiciary more familiar with the protection of human rights the project named “Human Rights Retraining for Lawyers from the Former Yugoslavia” started its life in 2000. The main objective of this project was to enable lawyers active in various branches of judiciary and in the law profession to better understand human rights issues, to become aware of the importance of human rights and to acquire necessary knowledge in order to protect human rights and to contribute to the processes of reconciliation in the region.

Targeted Groups

Considering the fact that the best way of improving the rule of law and protection of human rights is through judicial officials and bodies, the participants were carefully selected among judges, prosecutors and deputy prosecutors, court advisors and judicial associates, attorneys and other officials from the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia as well as among the representatives of international/local IOs/NGOs, representatives of ombudsperson offices, relevant ministries and government institutions, Judicial Training Centres, Associations of Judges/Prosecutors, etc.

Goals To Achieve

The purpose of the project’s implementation expressed through lectures, workshops, moot-court sessions etc. is to enable participants to disseminate acquired knowledge and skills among wider target groups; give expert advice on human rights issues to government institutions, NGOs and their counterparts in the region; be able to serve as sources of information for the media in the field of legislative and judicial reform, proper administration of justice, promotion and protection of democracy, rule of law and human rights; be able to better understand and participate in the work of NGOs and professional associations.

Organizers

The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights along with its partners from The Human Rights Centre of the University in Sarajevo, The Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Zagreb till 2008 and after that partnership takes over Legalis-Association for Promotion of Human Rights and Rule of Law-Zagreb, The Human Rights Action in Podgorica, FORUM – Centre for Strategic Research and Documentation in Skoplje and The Norwegian Centre for Human Rights in Oslo as the main co-operating partner from outside the region has started and is working on the implementation and organization of this project with the funding support of the Minsitry of Foreign Affairs of Kingdom of Norway through Belgrade Office of Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

Expectations

General expectations on this project are to achieve better knowledge of participants on human rights topics as well as giving them enough inputs so they can be able to implement acquired knowledge through their practice and work. Also, it is expected that they would be able to disseminate it and share it with wider audience and by all this to improve the implementation of human rights treaties and protection of the same.