OSCE Mission to Skopje, ODIHR host regional conference on trial monitoring

SKOPJE, 5 November 2008 - The OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) are hosting a regional conference on trial monitoring, that started in Skopje today.

The two-day conference, attended by representatives from 11 OSCE field operations, will examine the questions and challenges facing trial monitoring in the OSCE area.

"ODIHR's trial-monitoring manual presents guidance in the form of good practices based on OSCE experiences and expertise. Sharing this with OSCE staff throughout the region is an important part of our mission to promote the rule of law in participating States," said Carsten Weber, the Head of ODIHR's Rule of Law Unit.

Ambassador Natalya Drozd, the Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, said: "Our Mission has been involved in trial monitoring for several years now, as have several other Missions in the region, and I am confident that our experience can be useful to others, particularly to domestic monitoring groups in the participating States."