Montenegro benefits from co-operation initiatives implemented by the Council of Europe. These initiatives have played a pivotal role in supporting the country’s reform agenda, aligning Montenegro with Council of Europe standards while advancing its ongoing European Union accessions process. The Council of Europe is represented in Montenegro by the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, established for local project implementation and co-ordination of activities between the Council of Europe headquarters and national and international partners in the field.

Co-operation activities currently being implemented support the reform process in the following key areas: judicial reform, human rights protection, the fight against economic crime, anti-discrimination including minority rights, education, prevention of bullying and violence in schools, and freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

Six actions are currently being implemented within the third phase of the European Union/Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye, which assists the Beneficiaries in addressing the Council of Europe’s monitoring and advisory bodies’ recommendations and relevant European Union accession priorities. Under the Horizontal Facility, support to the judiciary includes interventions focusing on the accountability of the judicial system and protection of victims’ rights. In the area of prisons, the action focuses on human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons. Corruption, money laundering and the financing of terrorism are being addressed through the strengthening of national institutional capacities.

Support is provided to the authorities to improve legislation relating to anti-discrimination, to combat hatred and intolerance. Additionally, actions of the programme allow for the promotion of a democratic school culture and strengthening the quality of education. In the field of freedom of expression, the Council of Europe supports increasing the awareness and effective application of media actors’ rights by the judiciary and law enforcement in accordance with European standards, as well as strengthening the legal and policy framework of freedom of expression and of media. 

Montenegro also plays a substantial role in the regional actions of the Horizontal Facility focusing on the following areas: achieving quality and sustainability of justice through the Council of Europe flagship initiative based on CEPEJ methodology “Dashboard – Western Balkans II”,  bolstering the fight against economic crime, promoting diversity and equality, as well as protecting freedom of expression and freedom of the media. Additional regional actions focus on enhancing regional co-operation in managing violent extremism in prisons and strengthening women’s access to justice.

The Council of Europe furthermore supports Montenegro in enhancing the system for prevention and protection of children from bullying and peer violence in schools, through a project funded by voluntary contributions from Germany.  In addition to the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, Montenegro participates in a multilateral project “End Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse@Europe+”, aiming to enhance legislation and policies in line with the Lanzarote and Budapest Conventions. The project builds the capacities of law enforcement, judges and prosecutors to prevent cases of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, as well as to identify and support victims.

Moreover, Montenegro also benefits from two additional European Union/Council of Europe regional Joint Programmes in South-East Europe and Türkiye. The regional programme CyberSEE strengthens the rule of law, security and regional co-operation in South-East-Europe and Türkiye through a more effective response to the challenges of cybercrime and electronic evidence. Moreover, support is provided to the socio-economic integration, effective inclusion, and meaningful participation of the Roma population through the Joint Programme on Roma integration - Phase III.

Lastly, Montenegro benefits from regional projects funded by voluntary contributions. The Human Rights Trust Fund financially supports the implementation of two regional projects. The project “HELP in the Western Balkans” aims to enhance the capacities and skills of legal professionals for the effective application of European standards in human rights.  The project “Human Rights and Sustainable Environment in South-East Europe” increases the understanding of the relationship between the protection of human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the environment among the judiciary and legal professionals to strengthen environmental protection at the domestic level. Thanks to Germany’s financial contribution, the Council of Europe also promotes deliberative democracy in the region as an innovative form of citizen participation in local decision-making.

Through the implementation of the aforementioned programmes and actions, the Council of Europe has contributed to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 3 (target 8), SDG 4 (targets 1, 5 and 7), SDG 5 (targets 1, 2,  and c), SDG 10 (targets 2 and 3), SDG 15 (target 7) and SDG 16 (targets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, a and b).

More information: Overview of the Council of Europe Contribution to the UN 2030 Agenda.