The Project ‘’Enhancing human rights policing’’ co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe as part of the "Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey" and implemented by the Council of Europe, was launched on 21 September 2016 in Skopje.
The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the protection of human rights in the country in line with the Council of Europe and international standards. This objective shall be accomplished through ensuring sustainability of the in-service police training in line with international standards, strengthening the preventive safeguards against ill-treatment and enhancing the internal police investigative mechanism. The crucial step in preventing and combating ill-treatment should be the introduction of effective oversight over the work of the police through establishing an external mechanism, foreseen for 2017.
The welcoming addresses at the conference were delivered by: Mr Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Nicola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation, delegation of the European Union in Skopje and Ms Tania Van Dijk, Coordinator of the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey, Council of Europe.
More than 50 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman office, prosecutors, judges, other government officials, international organizations, as well as representatives from the NGO sector and academics, were present at the event, followed with good media coverage.