Kosovo Police (KP) is benefitting from the support of Council of Europe in establishing whistleblowing channels and procedures and is working towards establishing the internal whistleblower reporting mechanism. In this respect the Council of Europe organised a training on 07 and 08 March 2022 in order to enhance the practical knowledge of responsible officers on protection of whistleblowers on Council of Europe and other international standards and domestic legal and institutional framework.

Important emphasis was put on the need to distinguish between whistleblowers and informants, the latter being common in the Police work. The importance of efficient internal channels in terms of handling whistleblowing cases, protection of confidentiality, as well as the ability to assess information for the purpose of handling whistleblowers’ reports were highlighted as well.

Moreover, the training included combination of tailored theoretical presentations with practical scenario-based exercises.

The Council of Europe is currently developing a Training Manual on whistleblower protection in Police which will be made available to the Training Department in Kosovo Police for further utilisation in the trainings of police officers.

The Project will provide further support and advice to the KP for a proper functioning of the whistleblower reporting mechanisms.

The activity was organised within the framework of the “Project against Economic Crime in Kosovo” (PECK III), jointly funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the EU funded Project ”Support to Kosovo Police Reform”.