01.10.2020. » 12:24
Enhancing Transparency and Rule of Law in Kosovo-Serb Majority Communities
The overriding objective of the project is to enhance the depth and quality of the participation of citizens’ participation in decision-making processes through a series of actions geared at the establishment of sustainable mechanisms that will enable project stakeholders to more closely and effectively monitor the work of local administrative bodies and courts. Furthermore, the program will seek to improve the administration of justice in northern Kosovo and K/Serb majority areas in the other regions in Kosovo through support to judicial institutions and facilitation of inclusion of young lawyers from the non-majority communities into the law practice. The project will be divided into two components; one dealing with citizens’ participation in decision-making processes and the other with support to judicial institutions, with each component led by an organization with specific competencies in those areas.
Executive Summary
1. Program Synopsis
The overriding objective of the project is to enhance the depth and quality of the participation of citizens’ participation in decision-making processes through a series of actions geared at the establishment of sustainable mechanisms that will enable project stakeholders to more closely and effectively monitor the work of local administrative bodies and courts. Furthermore, the program will seek to improve the administration of justice in northern Kosovo and K/Serb majority areas in the other regions in Kosovo through support to judicial institutions and facilitation of inclusion of young lawyers from the non-majority communities into the law practice. The project will be divided into two components; one dealing with citizens’ participation in decision-making processes and the other with support to judicial institutions, with each component led by an organization with specific competencies in those areas.
Specific objectives under component 1:
Specific Objective 1: To increase capacities for anti-corruption action at local level through empowerment of CSOs and their networking into a Local Anti-Corruption Council, which will also include representatives of local self-governments and media.
Specific Objective 2: To contribute to the establishment of local mechanisms for inclusion of citizens’ in the decision-making process at local level. This will be achieved through the establishment the Local Anti-Corruption Council to ensure transparency in decision-making processes and act as a bulwark against corrupt practices. This will lead to better transparency at local level will contribute to lowering corruptive behavior by various public institutions in K/Serb majority areas in Kosovo.
Specific objective 3: To increase knowledge and awareness on importance and means of inclusion of citizens in the decision-making process at local level. The objective aims to undertake a wide scope of activities in regard to the awareness raising activities including the representatives of local self-governments in K-Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo, citizens’ and CSOs on mechanisms tailored to enhance public participation in the decision-making.
Specific objectives under component 2:
Specific objective 1: To increase the efficiency of the integrated judicial institutions in northern Kosovo and in other K/Serb majority areas in Kosovo.
Specific objective 2: To contribute to better inclusion of young lawyers from the non-majority communities in Kosovo into the law practice.
Specific Objective 3: To raise public awareness on the functioning of the integrated judicial institutions in northern Kosovo and K/Serb majority areas and citizen’s rights before these institutions
Summary of activities to be undertaken within the scope of the project:
Component 1:
C1.A1: Training for CSOs, local self-governments and media
C1.A2: Establishment of the Local Anti-Corruption Council.
C1.A3: Public conference on anti-corruption and transparency at local level
C1.A4: Implementation of the “Baseline research and analysis of public perception on transparency and corruption at local level”
C.1.A5: Awareness raising campaign
Component 2:
C2.A1. Launching Event
C2.A2: Training for judges and legal officers.
C2.A3: Trainings for young lawyers: Minimum twenty (20) young lawyers from the nonminority communities in Kosovo will be trained on practical legal skills
C2.A4: Moot Court Trial: Following the implementation of the training program, a Moot Court simulation will be organized, aiming to provide an opportunity to young lawyers to participate in a simulated court proceeding
C2.A5: Internship scheme: Minimum twenty (20) young lawyers will complete the 3-months internship practice with the Law Office in northern Kosovo.
C2.A6: Public awareness activities: Project applicants will organize a robust public campaign on the functioning of the integrated judiciary in K/Serb majority areas through series of public speaking and discussions and a robust media campaign.
Expected Results:
ER 1: Twenty (20) civil society activists and media have been trained and equipped with tools on combating corruption and improving transparency at local level.
ER 2: Local Anti-Corruption Council is established in the municipalities of North Mitrovica, ZveÄan, Zubin Potok, Leposavić, GraÄanica and Štrpce and has launched five (5) specific Initiatives
ER 3: A Baseline Research implemented with minimum 300 respondents and minimum 20 interviews conducted with community representatives, CSOs and media.
ER 4: Public Awareness raised through public activities including: four (4) public discussions and development and dissemination of educative brochures in K/Serb majority municipalities.
ER 5: Minimum twenty (20) judges from the Basic Court of Mitrovica are trained through series of advanced legal trainings and seminars, delivered by expert trainers from the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Kosovo.
ER 6: Minimum twenty (20) young lawyers from the non-majority communities in Kosovo are
trained on practical legal skills.
ER 7: Public awareness on functioning of the integrated judiciary in K/Serb majority areas is raised through series of public speaking and discussions and a robust media campaign.
The project will be implemented four Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, as well in two
Serb-majority municipalities south of the Ibar River: North Mitrovica, ZveÄan, Leposavić, Zubin Potok, Štrpce and GraÄanica
This project will have the following basic target groups and beneficiaries:
• Representatives of civil society and civil society organizations;
• Representatives of (local) media;
• Representatives of institutions at the central and local level;
• The general public