All European countries are obliged to enforce the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights and thus demonstrate their commitment to respecting the fundamental human rights and values ​​on which the Council of Europe and the European Union are founded. This was one of the key conclusions of the regional conference "The obligation to execute decisions of the European Court of Human Rights", organised by the European Union and the Council of Europe in Podgorica on 31 January.

The conference was opened by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice of Montenegro, Mr Zoran Pazin and gathered high-level representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia, including presidents of constitutional and supreme courts, prosecutors general and government agents.

The keynote speech given by a representative of the Execution Department of the Council of Europe highlighted the positive results achieved so far by the Western Balkan countries and the important role played by government agents in the execution process. During the conference over 120 participants exchanged about their experiences and the major remaining challenges to ensure full and effective execution of the Strasbourg Court’s judgments. The conference highlighted the obligation of the national authorities, including the judiciary and prosecutors, to take concrete steps to give effect to the Court’s judgments and the usefulness of regional co-operation and interaction notably by sharing good practices in this domain.

The activity was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Action entitled “Fighting ill treatment and impunity and enhancing the application of the European human rights case law on national level” which is being implemented in Montenegro under the joint Council of Europe and the European Union programme “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey”.