A public discussion on responses to hate speech and hate crimes formally opened on 17 May 2021 the International Week Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in Montenegro. Marking of this important date was co-hosted by the European Union Delegation to Montenegro, Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, the Ministry of Interior and the NGO Queer Montenegro.
Speakers at the opening panel recalled the need for strong partnerships to better respond to hatred, triggering stronger institutional supports but also an overall change of mindset in the population.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Sergej Sekulovic, confirmed the commitment of the Government of Montenegro and its Ministry to advance in protecting the LGBTI persons in the country, advancing in capacity building of the Police but also to ensure relevant legislation being fully implemented. ‘We, as government of Montenegro, and in particular the Ministry I am leading, has the responsibility to make sure conditions are there to prevent discrimination, but also to react and protect when an attack happen. For us, the partnership with the European Union, the Council of Europe and civil society organisations is important to this end.’
The Ombudsperson of Montenegro, Sinisa Bjekovic, clarified the role of police forces in the broader picture of combating discrimination and hatred in Montenegro, from the perspective of the key independent human rights institution.
The Ambassador of the European Union, Oana-Cristina Popa, recalled the importance of the Police and its network of contact persons of trust for the LGBTI community members to ensure efficient and swift actions to respond to hatred. She emphasised that the European Union is determined to continue addressing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, to recognise the specific needs of LGBTIQ persons during health crises and to work towards ensuring equal opportunities.
“We have to continue to fight for the right of every person to be proud of who they are, to define their own identity and to choose to be with the ones they love. Our rights are only secure if they apply to everyone and our actions have to reflect the importance of recognition and equality, not just for LGBTIQ persons, but for everyone,” said Popa.
The Head of Operations of the Council of Europe Office in Podgorica, Evgenia Giakoumoupolou, encouraged Montenegrin partners to continue liaising closely with the EU and the Council of Europe to address challenges in the field of combating homophobia, lesbophobia, transphobia. "Combating hate is a crucial axis of the assistance deployed by the Council of Europe Programme Office in Montenegro. Hate is a complex phenomenon with different root causes and that takes many forms. But what all forms of hatred have in common is that they threaten the fabric of our society, create divides among citizens, destroying social cohesion. For this reason, on IDAHOT we are reminded of the importance to strengthen partnerships with all stakeholders and to work closely with civil society and the LGBTIQ community to change not just legislations, but hearts and minds."
In the working session that followed the key remarks, two new tools available for the police forces in Montenegro were presented: the Local Manual for Training Police Officers to work with LGBTI persons, and the Montenegrin-language version of the Council of Europe Manual Policing Hate Crime against LGBTI persons. These tools are meant to help the local authorities to better address the problem of hate speech and crime in line with European standards. A discussion with COE, Police and CSO members took place in this regard. The event was closed by the award ceremony of five police officers that completed a “train-the-trainers” programme, and are ready to help their peers across Montenegro acquire the necessary skills in the coming months.
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people. The IDAHOT week 2021 in Montenegro is supported by the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Unit of the Council of Europe, and is part of the action on ‘Promotion of diversity and equality in Montenegro’, under the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022.
