On 29 January 2024 the Council of Europe HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) in the Western Balkans held online its Third Steering Committee Meeting.

Project’s Focal and Info Points discussed the achievements and the results of the first year of the project and defined the Workplan for the implementation during 2024, together with the colleagues from the Programmes Co-operation Division and the Department for the Execution of Judgements of the ECtHR. In accordance with the project proposal and the set of goals presented and agreed during Project’s 1^st SC meeting held in February last year, the implementation of the courses in 2024 will also be directed towards tackling the most violated Articles of the ECHR and the launches will be organised on a regional/cross-border basis.

The meeting was chaired by Eva PASTRANA, Head of Judicial and Human Rights Training Division. The participants were welcomed by Ambassador Patrick ENGELBERG, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the Council of Europe, the Chairperson of the Assembly of Contributors of the HRTF.

It was agreed that the HRTF HELP in the Western Balkans project will solely support the following courses: Judicial Reasoning and Procedural Safeguards in Criminal Proceedings and Victims’ Rights for the National Training Institutions/Judicial Academies and the Violence against Women and Domestic Violence for the Bar Associations. Other courses will be supported by other Council of Europe co-operation programmes.

The project “HELP in the Western Balkans” aims at enhancing capacities and skills of legal professionals for effective application of European standards mainly through professional training and university education at national and regional level. The specific courses were identified in close cooperation with WB partners and in coordination with the Department for the Execution of the Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights.