OSCE Mission to Skopje, Department of Justice at US Embassy help strengthen professional capacity of judicial professionals

SKOPJE, 14 December 2007 - The principles of international humanitarian law were the focus of a comprehensive training programme, supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development of the U.S. Department of Justice at the U.S. Embassy.

The Justice Ministry and the Academy for Training of Judges and Prosecutors implemented the programme, which was presented at a press conference today.

Fifty judges, prosecutors and other judicial professionals took part in several study visits to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague and in training sessions.

"The training activities provided judges and prosecutors with the knowledge to intepret domestic law in accordance with international norms and standards. I believe that they used this opportunity to be better prepared to handle the upcoming ICTY files," said Don Bisson, the Head of the OSCE Mission's Rule of Law Unit.

Justice Minister Mihajlo Manevski added: "This Project is one of the many successful projects that were developed by the Ministry of Justice in co-operation with the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development of the U.S. Department of Justice at the U.S. Embassy and the Academy for Training of Judges and Prosecutors, and we will always be grateful for their unreserved support. When we speak about continuing professional education of judges and public prosecutors, the Ministry will always give support when such need occurs."