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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PROJECT NEWS

Back Multi-disciplinary teams in prisons in North Macedonia prepared for the piloting of the individual treatment programme on radicalisation

@ Council of Europe

18 members of the multi-disciplinary prison teams (MDT) exchanged experience, know-how and challenges on 4-5 May 2022 in Skopje, in preparation for the final stage of piloting the individual programme on radicalisation in prisons. The participants included members of prison police and rehabilitation departments coming from four different prisons in North Macedonia (Idrizovo, Kumanovo, Skopje and Shtip).

Under the supervision of the CoE consultant, specific cases were analysed by the teams, and various practices and information exchanged, which is one of the key functions of the multi-disciplinary teams. Moreover, international standards and good practices from other CoE member states, including the Western Balkans region, were presented and discussed. The event further encouraged and enhanced self-confidence among the MDT members, which resulted in agreement to initiate the piloting of the individual treatment programme.

On Wednesday, 4 May, the Training Centre was visited by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of North Macedonia, who welcomed the engagement of the prison staff and the support provided by the Council of Europe. It was concluded that this activity is an important step towards empowering in-country multi-agency coordination to counter radicalisation in prison.

This activity was organised under the action on “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the External Oversight Mechanism in North Macedonia”, which is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022".

Skopje, North Macedonia 6 May 2022