To mark the launch of the new Action on “Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” within Horizontal Facility II (HF II), the first Steering Committee meeting took place in Podgorica, Montenegro, on 11 July 2019.

A representative of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and the European Union Delegation to Montenegro opened the meeting highlighting the achievements within the first phase of Horizontal Facility and the cooperation achieved between all parties. The event gathered representatives of all national institutions relevant to the Action: Institute for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Police Administration, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Preventive Mechanism and the Council for Civil Control of Police Work.

Participants reflected on the results achieved by within the previous Action and presented the new log-frame for the coming period (2019-2022). After discussing possible modalities on its implementation, a 6-month work plan was adopted, marking the beginning of the implementation of this new Action.

The Action “Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe. With an overall budget of 750.000 €, it started on 24 May 2019 and will finish on 23 May 2022.