First meeting of OSCE Multi-Agency Committee in Albania for combating gender-based violence in South-Eastern Europe

On 13 September 2021, the OSCE convened the first meeting of the Multi-Agency Committee in Albania established as part of the OSCE project, Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence — GBV — in South-Eastern Europe.

The project aims to increase the public’s trust in criminal just responses and the level of reporting of cases by enhancing the capacities of criminal justice systems in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to prevent and combat gender-based violence.

Representatives of the OSCE Secretariat and the OSCE Presence in Albania, the Albanian police, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Social Protection, representatives of the judiciary, the Child Rights Centre Albania and the Center for Legal Civic Initiatives attended the online and in-person meeting.

The aim of the event was to discuss the project’s strategy and implementation with local stakeholders to help tailor the project activities to the countries’ needs.

The Committee will provide guidance to the project team to help ensure that the project activities comply with local strategies and other existing activities and minimize duplication of or conflicting efforts.

The project is currently being implemented with the financial support of Germany, Norway and Finland.