The joint European Union and Council of Europe action Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia gathered law students from Belgrade University, who participated in internships at the Government Agent’s Office, to discuss their experiences in a focus group.
The internship programme, initiated and supported by the action, started in 2022. To date, 22 students have had the opportunity to work in the Office and gain valuable insight into how human rights cases are handled before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The meeting aimed to gather input from the students on potential ways to further support and enhance the internship program.
In the second part of the meeting, the students engaged in a discussion about the procedure before the ECtHR with representatives of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, a local NGO with extensive experience in representing applicants before the ECtHR. This session was particularly valuable for the students, as their internship provided knowledge of the procedure from the Government's perspective. In contrast, the NGO representatives offered insights into the process from the applicants’ point of view, presenting a comprehensive understanding of the system.
The students expressed high levels of satisfaction with their experience and demonstrated significant interest in pursuing careers in the field of human rights.
The meeting was a part of the ongoing efforts of the action "Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia" to enhance human rights teaching at the universities. The action is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, implemented by the Council of Europe.
