OSCE/ODIHR shares trial monitoring expertise with NGO representatives from Eastern Europe and South Caucasus at training event in Ukraine
The fundamentals of trial monitoring were the focus of a training event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in co-operation with the Educational Human Rights House, from 6 to 8 April 2016 in Chernihiv, Ukraine.
Bringing together 26 lawyers representing NGOs from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine, the event explored the principles, objectives and methodology of trial monitoring, based on ODIHR’s Trial Monitoring: A Reference Manual for Practitioners and the international fair trial standards outlined in the Legal Digest of International Fair Trial Rights, also produced by the Office.
“This training is part of ODIHR’s work to assist civil society in its crucial role of monitoring trials and advocating for improved compliance with OSCE rule of law-related commitments,” said Maria Alcidi, Rule of Law Officer at ODIHR.
In addition to providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of OSCE’s trial-monitoring methodology, the event was also an opportunity for them to discuss good practices and experiences highlighted by the ODIHR expert trainers from Armenia and Moldova.
“The training session is very timely in light of our efforts to increase the knowledge and skills of lawyers to monitor trials in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus,” said Liudmila Ulyashyna, Manager of the International Law in Advocacy Programme of the Oslo-based Human Rights House Foundation. “The ODIHR trial-monitoring methodology provides legal practitioners with an excellent tool to support their advocacy for positive changes in their country’s justice systems.”
This is the third such capacity-building event organized by ODIHR in Ukraine since the beginning of 2015. The previous two training workshops, in July and December 2015, respectively, targeted civil society actors from Ukraine only, while the current workshop included practitioners from six OSCE participating States.