HF II North Macedonia - Enhancing penitentiary system External Oversight Mechanism

As part of the co-operation framework co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, known as the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey, phase II (Horizontal Facility II), the Council of Europe implemented the Action “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the External Oversight Mechanism in North Macedonia”, in close cooperation and partnership with the Ministry of Justice (Directorate for Execution of Sanctions), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ombudsman’s Office. The Action also involved a wide group of other national stakeholders, including prominent civil society organisations active in the area of protection and promotion of human rights.

The main aim of the Action was to contribute to a safer and more humane society that respects and protects the rights of detained and sentenced persons in line with the Council of Europe standards in the area of penitentiary and law enforcement.

The key Conventions for this Action were the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), as well as the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The duration of the project was set at 36 months and it was completed by 31 December 2022, with an overall budget of 1,050,000 Euros.

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Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Healthcare and prison staff trained on applying the first Suicide Prevention Strategy in North Macedonia

@ Council of Europe

Seventeen doctors and nurses, alongside with twelve prison officers, all working in the penitentiary institutions across North Macedonia were trained on implementing the Suicide Prevention Strategy. The hybrid event took place on 22-23 June in Skopje and follows the development of the Strategy within the auspices of the action, being the first such document drafted with regards to the prison environment.

The Strategy’s key focus and thus the training focus included identifying risk factors, establishing prevention teams and application of the standard operation procedures and the action plan, all of which should address the issue of suicides and self-harm infliction in the penitentiary institutions.

The medical and penitentiary staff participated actively in the discussion facilitated by the international consultants, covering the specific questions which are related to the application of this Strategy, including the functioning of the Suicide Prevention Teams at central level and within the penitentiary institutions.

This activity was organised under the Action “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the external oversight mechanism in North Macedonia”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe within the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” and implemented by the Council of Europe.

North Macedonia 24 June 2021