The revision of the Kyiv Recommendations on Judicial Independence in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia (2010): Expert consultation meeting

On 20 June 2022, ODIHR will organize an expert consultation meeting as part of an ongoing review of the Kyiv Recommendations on Judicial Independence in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia (2010). The Kyiv Recommendations is one of ODIHR’s flagship tools and has provided guidance to the judiciary, policymakers and civil society in participating States in the specific OSCE sub-regions on how to ensure judicial independence and accountability for more than a decade.

Since December 2019, ODIHR has been working on reviewing the recommendations to potentially expand their geographical and thematic scope. This consultation meeting will feed into the working process and will provide an opportunity for ODIHR to receive structured feedback on an advanced draft of the updated recommendations.  

ODIHR has invited a group of senior experts and practitioners from the judiciary, academia, civil society organizations, international partner organizations and OSCE field offices from across the OSCE region to discuss the draft recommendations. The discussions will cover various topics concerning judges, including disciplinary accountability, freedom of expression and association, judicial self-governance, and issues related to the transfer of judges. The conclusions of the meeting will inform the final text of these new recommendations.

OSCE participating States have committed to “respect the internationally recognized standards that relate to the independence of judges and legal practitioners” (Moscow Document, 1991). Moreover, the OSCE States recognised that judicial independence is a prerequisite to the rule of law and a fundamental guarantee of a fair trial (Brussels 2006).