The Regional School of Human Rights brought together 34 law students from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
The summer school introduced students to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) focusing on the right to freedom of expression. This right encompasses the freedom to hold opinions and share information without interference but also includes responsibilities and legal limitations necessary in a democratic society. Freedom of expression is crucial for the exchange of ideas, transparency, accountability, innovation, and social progress.
The programme also tackled the right to freedom of expression in relation to the challenges it faces, especially with issues such as environmental degradation and the digital age. As climate change intensifies, free speech becomes crucial for advocating environmental justice and accountability. Balancing the right to express environmental concerns with the need to prevent misinformation is essential. By ensuring legal protections and promoting open dialogue, societies can use free expression to drive positive environmental change. The school culminated in a moot court competition on the final day.
This event is supported by the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro” with the aim to equip future legal professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to address current and future challenges in line with the European values.
The Regional Human Rights School is made possible with the following projects: “Support to a coherent national implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded by the Council of Europe Action Plan for BiH 2022-2025, “Support to the Constitutional Court in Applying and Disseminating European Human Rights Standards – Phase II”, “Human Rights and Sustainable Environment in South-East Europe” and the following actions: “Towards a consolidated and more efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) System in North Macedonia”; “Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia”; “Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro”; “Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III)”; “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PRO-FREX-BH)” that are implemented in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.