News & Events - Council of Europe Office in Pristina
Dignity First: People Driving Change Across Kosovo's Closed Institutions
Change Seen Through the Eyes of Prisoners Early summer sunlight falls across the garden at Pavilion D of the Dubrava Correctional Centre as "Prisoner S" walks among the plants cultivated by prisoners. Gardening forms part of a structured occupational therapy programme delivered by the Prison...
Open call for grants to support for Local Authorities in organising Citizens’ Assemblies in South-East Europe
The Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is launching a call for local authorities from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to receive support in organising citizens’...
Strengthening judicial capacities to protect freedom of expression and media freedom
Fifteen judges from the Basic Courts, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court took part in a two-day training supported by the European Union and the Council of Europe. The training aimed to help them apply European standards on freedom of expression and media freedom in their court decisions....
Putting victims first: Strengthening social services to respond to domestic violence
When a woman seeks help after experiencing domestic violence, the response she receives can make a real difference. She needs to be heard, feel safe and know that her rights and choices matter. For social services professionals, responding effectively means more than addressing an immediate...
Protecting victims and children training strengthens courts’ response to domestic violence
A decision about protection, custody or contact can have a lasting effect on the safety of a victim of domestic violence and their children. How courts understand abuse and its impact on family life can therefore be crucial. These issues were at the heart of a two-day training held on 29–30...
Advancing shared priorities: Council of Europe Office in Pristina highlights results and priorities with Member States
Today, the Council of Europe Office in Pristina hosted our Member States’ Ambassadors and representatives for an Open Day. Our Head of Office, Mary Ann Hennessey, shared the highlights of 27 years of Council of Europe presence, an overview of our current work, and most importantly, introduced...
Young People Turn Dialogue into Action Against Hate Speech
For Sara Ceshko, a young activist and member of the United Youth Task Force, youth-led activities have created unique opportunities for young people from different communities across Kosovo* to connect and learn from one another. “We have been able to create a platform where we, as young...
Following the Money: Detecting and Understanding Illicit Financial Flows
At the request of the Ministry of Finance in Pristina, the Council of Europe contributed to the high-level international conference ‘Beyond Compliance: Building Resilient Economies Through Financial Integrity’ that was organized within the framework of Berlin Process. The event brought together...
Congress in Pristina: Central and local authorities share determination to strengthen local democracy
“We believe that solid and properly resourced local authorities are the foundation of democratic stability. Seeing central and local authorities side by side at this event shows a shared determination to strengthen local democracy and keep a real, structured dialogue going between all levels of...
Administrative courts’ judges and legal associates strengthen capacity to apply European human rights standards
The project, in co-operation with the Justice Academy, organised training on the practice of the European Court of Human Rights in administrative dispute cases and the implementation of the respective Strasbourg case law by domestic courts. The activity brought together 20 judges and legal...
Lawyers of Bar Association strengthen understanding of the right to life
The right to life, protected under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), is one of the most fundamental rights guaranteed by the Convention. Together with Article 3, prohibition of torture, it enshrines one of the basic values of the democratic societies making up the...
The CEPEJ supports the process of digital communication between courts and lawyers
A workshop on “Digitalising Court–Lawyer Communication: The French e-Barreau Experience” was organised on 1 October 2026 in Pristina, bringing together representatives of justice institutions and legal professionals. During the workshop, CEPEJ expert Philippe Baron, Chair of the Digital...
Workshop on templates for Kosovo Prosecutorial Council
Representatives of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) and prosecution offices gathered on 24–25 September 2026 for a workshop focused on the further development of templates within the Case Management Information System (CMIS). The workshop marked the final stage of an ongoing process...
Hate speech has no place in our society - Kosovo Police officers participate in hate speech training
Between July and September, the Council of Europe Office in Pristina, organised a series of five training sessions on combating hate speech for young Kosovo Police officers, bringing together nearly 100 participants from across the country. The sessions were organised under the project "Fostering...
Elections were calm and orderly but revealed persistent structural challenges, says PACE delegation
The PACE observation election report on the early elections to the Assembly of Kosovo* (7 June 2026) was presented to the Parliamentary Assembly at its 4th part session in Strasbourg on 28 September 2026. “The early parliamentary elections of 7 June 2026 were conducted in a calm, orderly and...
Council of Europe discusses key steps towards regulating lobbying activities
Key stakeholders gathered together in Pristina for a roundtable: "Towards lobbying regulation: findings, regional lessons, and next steps". The Council of Europe hosted the event to present the findings and recommendations related to a proposed strategic and policy framework on regulating...
Judges and prosecutors strengthen skills in reasoning of judicial decisions
The right to a reasoned judicial decision forms an integral part of the right to a fair trial guaranteed by Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Adequate judicial reasoning is closely linked to procedural fairness and the proper administration of justice. While providing reasons...
Domestic institutions strengthen co-operation on rehabilitation and reintegration of persons vulnerable to radicalisation
Representatives of Kosovo[*] probation, correctional and other relevant institutions gathered in Pristina to strengthen their skills and co-operation in support of a more efficient rehabilitation, reintegration and post-release process for violent extremist prisoners and offenders. The Kosovo...
Council of Europe supports enhancement of human rights protection of detainees in police custody in Kosovo
Twenty police officers strengthened their knowledge and practical skills in applying safeguards against ill-treatment and conducting human rights compliant investigative interviews during a two-day workshop held on 10–11 September 2026. Through expert discussions, case studies and scenario-based...
Council of Europe and Kosovo Correctional Service reaffirm their commitment to European standards in the correctional system
A delegation from the Council of Europe Office in Pristina, including Head of Office, Mary Ann Hennessey, Deputy Head, Nichola Howson, and Senior Project Officer, Arben Lubach met with the Director General of the Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS), Ismail Dibrani. Director Dibrani thanked the...