On 20 February 2020, the Council of Europe in cooperation with Academy of Justice of Kosovo* launched the HELP course on violence against women and domestic violence. The course was developed by the Council of Europe Gender Equality Division and the European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) and it provides high quality human rights training to enable legal professionals to be more responsive to the needs of victims of violence against women and domestic violence and to apply within national jurisdictions international standards such as the Istanbul Convention and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The HELP course incorporates also Kosovo*’s policy and legal frameworks on violence against women and domestic violence and it is offered in local official languages.
The launching conference was opened by Merita Limani, the local Project Manager, Council of Europe, and Enver Fejzullahu, Director of the Academy of Justice of Kosovo*. Welcoming remarks were provided by Jenny Stenberg Sorvold, the Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Norway in Kosovo*. An introduction to the Council of Europe HELP Programme was provided by Valentina Boz, Council of Europe HELP Unit. The participants also benefited from a presentation on the European standards in the field of violence against women and domestic violence by Anca Ciupa, Council of Europe expert and member of WAVE Network, and presentation on local legislation and practice by Faton Ademi, Judge with Kosovo Court of Appeals.
After the official launch, around 50 participants will take part in the HELP online course, mainly judges, prosecutors, victims’ advocates, police and lawyers. The participants will complete the seven online modules with the practical support and guidance of the national tutors Arberita Kryeziu and Aleksandra Dimitrijevic.
The HELP course on Violence against women and domestic violence is currently available in the HELP online platform in Armenian, Bosnian, English, Georgian, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Russian, Polish, Slovenian, and Ukrainian.
This activity is part of the project ‘’Reinforcing the fight against violence against women and domestic violence - phase II’’.
* All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.
