The European Union and Council of Europe Joint Project on “Improving the Effectiveness of the Family Courts: Better Protection of the Rights of Family Members” had its online Kick-Off Meeting on 27 May.
Project partners discussed preparations undertaken within the project inception period and agreed on the next steps. Participants included the Justice Academy of Turkey, the end beneficiary of the Project, the Directorate General for Foreign Relations and EU Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, the lead institution of the Project, the European Union Delegation to Turkey and the Council of Europe. In addition, representatives from the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, the Directorate General for Legal Affairs, the Department of Judicial Support and Victim Services, the Department of Training of the Ministry of Justice and the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also attended the kick-off meeting.
Mr Cristian Urse, the Head of Council of Europe Ankara Programme Office, Mr Muhittin Ozdemir, the President of the Justice Academy, Ms Lilit Daneghian-Bossler, Head of Unit in the Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Co-operation Standards of the CoE and Ms Beatrice Zanella, Programme Assistant in the Department for the Civil Society, Fundamental Rights, Judiciary and Home Affairs of the EU Delegation to Turkey, emphasized the relevance and importance of the project during the introductory session.
With a specific objective of improving the effectiveness of family courts in protecting the rights of women and children, the Project will be implemented by the Council of Europe together with the Justice Academy of Turkey under EU funding for a 33-month period, ending on 19 December 2023.
