The first Steering Committee meeting of a 48-month joint Council of Europe/European Union Action on “Enhancing Human Rights protection for detained and sentenced person” took place on 10 March 2023. The meeting also marked the launch of the third phase of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility  III) action in Podgorica, Montenegro.

The action builds on the results of previous two HF phases and will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Interior/Police Administration, Administration for Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Ministry of Justice, Ombudsman/National Preventive Mechanism, State Prosecutor’s Office, and Ministry of Health as well as other national stakeholders, including prominent civil society organisations active on the protection and promotion of human rights of detained persons.

The action is focusing on:

• Improving the treatment of persons detained in police custody in line with the Council of Europe standards against ill-treatment and impunity;
• Enhancing health care services for detained persons in prisons;
• Better monitoring of detention facilities through enhanced capacity of the NPM Office.

All national stakeholders expressed their full support to the action and highlighted the importance of Council of Europe and European Union support to the criminal justice reforms. Both the activity plan and the expected main outcomes of the action were presented and agreed.

For more information on the action, you may visit the dedicated page on the Cooperation and Police and Deprivation of Liberty site.

The duration of the action is set at 48 months and will be completed by 31 December 2026, as a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) running from 2023 until 2026 and implemented by the Council of Europe.