Montenegro, 14 March 2022- Montenegrin lawyers and legal professionals participated in the online launching event of the Council of Europe HELP course on International Co-operation in criminal matters, which marks a further step for the joint EU and Council of Europe action “HELP in the Western Balkans action” in the efforts to increase the knowledge and skills of judges, prosecutors and lawyers on European human rights standards.

Aiming to explore fundamental principles of international judicial co-operation and a range of legal frameworks and instruments for such co-operation, this course will help participants to complete their knowledge and practical skills on important topics, such as extradition, mutual legal assistance, transfer of sentenced persons, supervision of offenders, international validity of criminal judgments and transfer of proceedings etc.

The online launching event was addressed by Evgenia Giakoumopolou Head of Operations of the Council of Europe Office in Podgorica, Bojana Franovic Representative of the Bar association and HELP course tutor, and Eva Pastrana - Head of Justice and Human Rights Training Division in the Council of Europe.

Ana Medarska-Lazova, Deputy Head of Justice and Human Rights Training Division, provided an overview of the Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme of the Council of Europe and its HELP online platform that includes a catalogue of 40 courses on human rights.

Finally, Eva Massa-Arranz - Project Co-ordinator of the joint EU and Council of Europe HELP Radicalisation prevention and Bojana Franovic - HELP course tutor, briefly exposed both the content of this recently updated course and the technical aspects of the HELP online platform and its access. The event was moderated by Jasminka Perunicic-Allen, Senior Project Officer of HELP in the Western Balkans action.

The version of the course can also be taken for self-learning in the HELP online platform with the possibility of obtaining an individualized and digital “statement of accomplishment” upon completion.

This event was organised under the HELP in the Western Balkans action, part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.