Media Advisory

Invitation to the conference: “Implementing the Istanbul Convention through Case-Law: Judicial Dialogue for an Effective Judicial Response”

LOCATION: Hotel Emerald (Pristina – Ferizaj highway, 5th km), Pristina
TIME: March 15, 2024 (Friday) from 09:00 to 15:45 (conference opening and keynote speeches 09:30 – 10:50)

The conference “Implementing the Istanbul Convention through Case-Law: Judicial Dialogue for an Effective Judicial Response” will be held in Pristina on March 15, 2024. The event will bring together representatives of key judicial institutions of the justice chain, including courts, and prosecutor’s offices, as well as representatives of relevant government authorities, international organisations, embassies, and civil society. The focus of the conference will be on the discussion about the improvement of the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, enhancement of the prevention and prosecution of violence against women and domestic violence and strengthening inter-institutional cooperation on this path. The conference is organised by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo, in cooperation with the Council of Europe and the AIRE Centre (supported by the Government of the United Kingdom).

The latest research on the judicial response to femicide, namely the regional report on the “Judicial Response to Femicide in the Western Balkans”, including the “Femicide in the Republic of Kosovo: Legal framework and judicial practice (2018–2022)”, will also be presented at the event. These reports provide an analysis of the relevant court judgements and an overview of the relevant legal frameworks, revealing strengths and shortcomings in legislation and court practices. Recommendations deriving from the regional report call for the criminalisation of femicide, improvement of investigations, adoption of special protocols, and enhancement of data collection, which can ensure more effective prosecution of cases of femicide and other forms of gender-based violence, and ensure satisfactory justice for victims, in line with the Istanbul Convention and other relevant international standards.

We invite you to attend this conference, which will be held on March 15, 2024, at Hotel Emerald (Beethoven Banquet Hall). The event will be opened by:

● Gresa Caka-Nimani, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo
● Albulena Haxhiu, Minister of Justice and National Coordinator for Protection Against Domestic Violence, Violence against Women and Gender Based Violence of Kosovo
● Biljana Braithwaite, Director of the AIRE Centre’s Western Balkans Programme
● Tankut Soykan, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe’s Office in Pristina

The event will also include keynote addresses by Ms. Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner (through video) and Mr. Robert Spano, Former President of the European Court of Human Rights and President of the Board of Patrons of the Gender Champions in the Judiciary Network.

More information about the topics and participants is available in the agenda, which you can download here

For any further information, feel free to contact Medina Kadriu, Office Manager at the Cabinet of the President at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo, at [email protected] or [email protected] or +383 (0) 38 60 61 62, and Amina Hujdur, Outreach and Communications Manager at the AIRE Centre, at [email protected] or +387 (0) 66 898 918.