Publications

The manual for training of civil society activists who wish to strengthen the work of environmental protection agencies was developed by the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine on request from the Sate Environmental Inspectorate. Available in Ukrainian language. 

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo training on Mock Court Reporting for young and aspiring journalists and law students from all over Kosovo aims to provide them with first-hand experience in court reporting. They will be instructed on best practices for gathering information and communicating with justice officials and vice versa. The training will be followed by a concluding workshop, as a platform to discuss lessons learned and derive conclusions and recommendations.

The execution of sanctions is the final piece that closes the entire process of adjudication in criminal procedure. The lack of proper sanctions enforcement through a clear, understandable and fair procedure, the incomplete legal framework, as well as the inconsistent practice of the courts at the four appellate regions in North Macedonia, contributes to the negative public perception, especially in “high profile” cases. The Mission, in cooperation with the national Judges’ Association and the Skopje Basic Criminal Court, developed an Analysis of the practical problems of the procedure for execution of sanctions, addressing the legislative gaps and providing concrete legislative solutions. The Analysis includes diverse court practices from the appellate regions and recommends practical approaches to overcome certain challenges. Not available in English.

During the implementation of the current LCP, during trial monitoring activities and over discussion with national legal practitioners, it became obvious that one of the weaknesses among legal practitioners is the adequate use of expert opinions, expert witnesses and technical advisors as a tool for representing facts as evidence in Court, and their effective, efficient and financially justified conduct in accordance with the rules and principles of the national criminal procedure. The Law on Expertise, as lex specialis needs to be understood in the context of the LCP and the purpose of the expert witnesses during a criminal case trial. Therefore, the OSCE Mission to Skopje supported the drafting of this Guidebook for legal practitioners including positive and negative examples from the national court practice, ECtHR jurisprudence and additional elaborations of the novelties in the Law on Expertise.

Book of proceedings of an international academic conference held in Tirana on 21 June 2022. (English and Albanian)

This report presents a baseline assessment of environmental governance, taking into consideration an analysis of legal framework, institutional capacities, and technical expertise. The assessment was conducted from October 2022 to January 2023, by reviewing legal framework and literature, and interviews conducted with 25 institutions, and the validation of the findings in a technical consultation workshop with the participation of 40 attendees, representing compliance and management agencies, police, prosecution, civil society, media and academia. Also, baseline assessment highlighted the opportunities and concrete recommendations to enhance inter-institutional co-operation and environmental law enforcement. January 2023

By supporting activities aimed at increasing the capacity of executive and legislative structures to work in the interest of citizens, ensure legislative oversight, and assist the country to achieve its reform policy goals, the Mission contributes to promoting stability and reconciliation in BiH by developing systems of governance. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina works on safeguarding the main principles of democratic governance at all levels of authority and ensuring that institutions and governments in Bosnia and Herzegovina adhere to good governance standards to ensure that they are responsive, transparent, effective, representative of and accountable to citizens.

In 2017, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina began systematically monitoring and assessing the prosecution and adjudication of corruption and organized crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based on this monitoring, the Mission determined that the failure by judicial institutions to repress corruption and organized crime effectively has led to a state of de facto impunity. This remains one of the most salient and pressing issues affecting BiH, as corruption and organized crime threaten long-term stability and prosperity in BiH and the broader region.

Social cohesion is a societal challenge that requires a strategic approach and the engagement of numerous stakeholders. Improved community cohesion achieved via the sustained engagement of civil society actors and public authorities in the implementation of locally-designed Community Cohesion Action Plans (CCAPs), is a central element of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s engagement in this field.

In line with its mandate and relevant OSCE commitments, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina contributes to the fight against corruption by supporting the development, adoption, and promotion of anti-corruption regulations at all authority levels as well as their implementation by relevant governmental bodies. Corruption is costly: politically, in terms of eroding democracy and the rule of law; economically, by wasting public resources and deterring investment; and socially, by diminishing citizens’ trust in the political system and its leadership.