Background and objective of the project
In 2013 renewed Criminal Justice Reform Strategy and its Action Plan was adopted at the 10th Session of the Criminal Justice Reform Inter-Agency Coordination Council. The main objective of the Criminal Justice Reform Strategy is to create a system that is focused on crime prevention and the protection of human rights, the establishment of an independent and
fair judiciary, as well as the development of an impartial, accountable and efficient criminal justice system. As a part of this strategy the prosecution service has been transformed into an independent, accountable and transparent institution. Also the police will be reformed, with a strong focus on a more effective prevention of crimes and a better investigation of crimes respecting international standards on the protection of human rights. The EU project on the support to the development of criminal policy, prosecution and investigation will continue to support the Ministry of Justice in coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the Criminal Justice Reform Strategy, and to advance reforms to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in line with international standards and commitments. In order to achieve the general objective, the project will implement six components:
Component 1: criminal justice reform policy, development, coordination and monitoring
In this component the project will assist the Ministry of Justice in their work on the execution of the Criminal Justice Reform Strategy by supporting the secretariat of the Criminal Justice Reform Council and thematic working groups created under the Council, through international donor-coordination activities, the enhancement of the capacities of the Analytical Department of the Ministry of Justice, through public outreach activities related to the reforms, as well as via the provision of technical assistance in the drafting of relevant criminal law proposals. Component 2: professional development
As a part of this component the project will promote professional development of police crime investigators and prosecutors by enhancing their abilities to perform their duties independently and professionally in accordance with human rights standards, through the development of training programs and the creation of a management system for requests for international cooperation in criminal matters. Component 3: public relations
The project will help the prosecution service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in developing and improving public relations strategies, including the preparation of action plans aiming at providing the general public a better understanding of the work of the police and the prosecutor and their achievements in terms of preventing and resolving crimes. Component 4: human resource development
In this component the project will improve the efficiency, transparency and fairness of the human resource management systems, the appraisal process of police officers and prosecutors, the application of ethical rules and disciplinary procedures within the prosecution services and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Component 5: management capacity
As a part of this component the capacity of the prosecution service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be strengthened with regards the use of reliable and consistent methods for gathering, analyzing and sharing information on crime statistics and policies for managing their organizations. This will include the application of intelligence led-policing methodologies to target potential offenders and a better allocation of law-enforcement resources. Component 6: human rights
For an effective processing and reduction of complaints of human rights abuses and to ensure that prosecutors and police investigators are respecting international and European Human Rights standards in their daily work, the project will support the prosecution service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in improving the mechanisms for lodging a complaint against prosecutors and the police. Also, with the assistance of a human rights expert the level of awareness will be raised in the prosecution service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs concerning the application of international human rights standards.
