OSCE launches regional project on enhancing criminal justice capacities for combating gender-based violence in South-Eastern Europe

On 9 December 2021, the OSCE launched the regional project ‘Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe’.

Representatives of OSCE participating States and five national multi-agency committees that were established in the framework of the project from July to December 2021, attended the event. The establishment of the multi-agency committees marks the successful implementation of the first pillar of the project: multi-sectoral co-ordination. The Committees will function until the end of the project and will enhance co-ordination between all relevant stakeholders; contributing to a multi-sectoral approach to combating gender-based violence.

“For the past three weeks, we have heard a lot about gender-based violence. This human rights violation continues to silence too many voices in our societies,” stated Alena Kupchyna, OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats. “We need a collective effort to stop all forms of gender-based violence. The goal of this project is to ensure that women from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia trust the authorities, feel safe to report violence, receive support and achieve justice.”

Throughout 2022, the project will focus on increasing the effectiveness of criminal justice practitioners when responding to cases of gender-based violence. Among the planned activities for 2022 are developing curricula in accordance with the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention and other international standards, and expanding networks of trainers with expertise on the topic.

The project is currently being implemented with the financial support of Germany, Norway, Finland, and France, and will run until 2024.