Law enforcement institutions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and the Republic of Moldova met in Podgorica on 26-28 September with the aim to address racism, discrimination, and the protection of minority groups, especially the LGBTI community. This regional exchange is the result of the law enforcement institutions and CSOs network established in October 2023 with the support of the EU and Council of Europe.

Key topics discussed during the meeting included enhanced victim protection, improved reporting of cases, and more efficient handling of hate-motivated attacks. Police officers and CSO representatives shared success stories and discussed challenges related to hate crimes, freedom of assembly, racism, and racial discrimination. The meeting also provided an opportunity to explore ways to build trust between police representatives and CSOs.

Participants highlighted the need for more training opportunities, enhanced open dialogue and co-operation between actors dealing with hate speech and hate crimes incidents, and collaborative solutions to protect the rights of minorities in local contexts.

The participants were introduced to Council of Europe guidelines and standards in the field, notably ECRI General Policy Recommendation N°11 on combating racism and racial discrimination in policing, as well as the most recent tool for police training, the “Manual for police education on equality & non-discrimination”.

As part of the exchange, participants observed the Podgorica Pride on 28 September to learn about security measures, including ensuring the safety of participants to the march. Study visits to the Podgorica Security Centre and local CSOs working with LGBTI rights further promoted discussions about co-operation between police and civil society.

This activity was organised as part of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance” programmes, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe in the framework of the action “Combating discrimination, hatred and racism in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, and the project “Combating discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in the Republic of Moldova”, respectively.