Civil society organizations from the region strongly support their colleagues from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Civic Initiatives from Serbia, as well as Integra from Kosovo, whose festival "Mirëdita, dobar dan!" promoting friendship and cooperation between the Serbian and Albanian people has been banned in Serbia.We condemn the decision of the Serbian authorities to ban the festival solely because it has come under attack from criminal structures and members of right-wing groups wh

Workshop on Submitting Requests for Free Access to InformationDate: July 8, 2024Time: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PMLocation: PR Center, Podgorica"Do you want to learn how to obtain information from public institutions?"Join us and learn how to exercise your right to free access to information! The workshop will cover key concepts, the procedures for submitting requests, and practical tips. All interested citizens are welcome.Apply via: Email:  info@cemi.org.mePhone:  +382 (0) 20 653 736We are wa

The Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), on behalf of the Southeast Europe Leadership for Development and Integrity (SELDI), is launching the regional Call for Proposals for the SELDI Small Grants Programme “Financial Support for Grassroots and Youth CSOs with Outreach to Citizens” (Reference no. 10-46/1-2024). The Call for Proposals falls within the scope of the Project “Civil Society for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption in Southeast Europe: Capacity Building for

Montenegro has made progress in the fight against corruption, but further reforms and stabilization of the institutional system are necessary, given that more than half of the citizens believe that corruption is very widespread in Montenegrin institutions. This was announced at the conference "Anti-Corruption Policy of Montenegro - Have We Earned a Positive IBAR?", which we organized today.Nemanja Stankov, Head of the Public Policy Research Department at CeMI, presented key findings from the pub

We express our deep concern that the recent statements by the Mayor of Nikšić may be part of a calculated effort to politically destabilize Montenegro and incite inter-ethnic tensions.The Mayor’s assertion that the authorities will take measures against Montenegrins if they do not comply with the expectations of Kovačević and his political associates signals a potential escalation of Kovačević's party’s activities, aimed at fostering inter-ethnic and inter-religious discord in Montenegro.This in

Proactive information disclosure is a fundamental mechanism for ensuring voter awareness, as well as for alleviating the burden on government bodies in handling requests for free access to information.Watch the educational video on government transparency, created as part of the project "PROSPECTA: Promoting Openness and Creating Access for Efficient and Transparent Administration," which is implemented by the Centre for Monitoring and Research with financial support from the Ministry of Public

The Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) will carry out activities to monitor selected criminal proceedings in all basic and higher courts in Montenegro. The cooperation with the Supreme Court of Montenegro has been continued in the form of monitoring, analysis, and improvement of the judicial system to increase transparency, accountability, and efficiency of the judiciary, as well as to promote the rule of law and the protection of human rights.These reasons are the purpose of the Memorand

In Montenegro, 86 percent of candidates for MPs who participated in the Montenegrin Comparative Candidate Survey (MCCS) believe that a comprehensive reform of the electoral legislation is necessary. This reform would involve voter rights, updating the voter registry, preferential voting, and increasing the representation of women.This was announced at a press conference presenting the study "Candidates' Attitudes for MPs: Potential for Electoral Reform," conducted in collaboration with the Monte

From May 18th to 19th, we successfully organized a two-day training session for 10 professionals (judges, prosecutors, police officers, healthcare and social workers) on the topic "Advanced Skills for Supporting Women Victims of Violence and Gender-Based Violence" at the Bianca Resort & Spa hotel in Kolasin.The seminar instructors were Prof. Dr. Vesna Ratkovic from the Faculty of Law at the University of Mediterranean and Chief Police Inspector Tamara Pavicevic from the Police Department.The

In a democratic society, transparency is crucial for preserving democratic values and protecting human rights.The right to free access to information is a fundamental right that every citizen can exercise, thereby contributing to the development of a responsible and transparent society.🎥 This video was created as part of the project "PROSPECTA: Promoting Openness and Creating Access for Efficient and Transparent Administration," financially supported by the Ministry of Public Administration.

Institute for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (UIKS) did not allow a representative from the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) to visit detainee Milivoje Katnic, the former Chief Special Prosecutor, today, despite having approval from the President of the High Court in Podgorica.According to Article 183, Paragraph 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, with the approval of the President of the High Court in Podgorica, a CeMI representative attempted to visit detainee Milivoje Katnic, t

We successfully organized a three-day seminar on the topic of 'Implementation of the Law on Free of Access to Information', which took place at the Bianca Resort & Spa in Kolasin from May 10th to 12th. The seminar brought together experts, practitioners, and interested citizens to discuss the key challenges in implementing this law.The instructors at the seminar were lawyer Milena Nikezic and civil activist Dina Bajramspahic. Over the course of three days, participants had the opportunity to

The Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) successfully organized a three-day training on the topic of "Project and Financial Management," which was held on April 17, 18, and 19 at Hotel Bianca in Kolasin.The aim of the training was to equip participants with the skills for efficient project management and financial resource management, with assistance from experienced lecturer Goran Djurovic.The training covered key aspects of project management, such as project implementation planning, deve

🔍📃Do you need legal support in the process of requesting access to information? Our team of lawyers is at your disposal to provide you with expert assistance and advice through our free legal aid service. Whether you are facing obstacles or want to ensure that your request is successfully processed, we are here to help you.💼💬The service is specifically aimed at supporting individuals who are not familiar with the legislation or encounter obstacles in exercising their rights.Free legal support al

In Montenegro, there is a high degree of political will for electoral reform to take place, and the priority of the Committee on Comprehensive Electoral Reform should be the issues of arranging the voter list, professionalizing and depoliticizing the State Election Commission (SEC) and the position of the president of the municipal election commission.This was announced at our conference "Perspectives and Strategies for Achieving Electoral Reform in Montenegro", supported by the British Embassy

The electoral reform process should be opened to the public and the emphasis should be placed on building citizens' trust in the electoral process, given the relatively low rating of election integrity, which is 2.9 out of 5, and voter distrust.This was announced at the press conference on the occasion of the presentation of research findings within the Montenegrin National Election Study (MNES), within the project financed by the British Embassy Podgorica.The President of the Governing Board, C

NGO Centre for Monitoring and Research, CeMI from Podgorica, in cooperation with NGO Centre for Civic Freedoms CEGAS and NGO Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro CIN CG, is implementing a project entitled "Support to EU Integration of Montenegro - for an Independent and Professional Judiciary as a Key Prerequisite" EuropeAid/176851/DD/ACT/ME, funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights Program for Monte

The coalition of non-governmental organizations "Equally" expresses its concern about the uncritical and unbalanced reporting of the RTCG public service on the Law on legal recognition of gender identity based on self-determination, whereby RTCG violates Article 9 of the Law on the National Public Broadcaster Radio and Television of Montenegro, which guarantees compliance with professional standards. Among other things, these standards include: strengthening of social cohesion, balanced reportin

In Montenegro, minority peoples and other minority national communities face the challenges of discrimination and lack of political participation.The findings of our research indicate insufficient participation of minorities in political life, as well as that education and empowerment are key steps towards changing the current situation.We are building a more inclusive society of equals.

In Montenegro, significant steps are necessary to foster greater political participation among minorities and other national minority communities. This imperative calls for legislative reforms alongside the bolstering of political education and empowerment initiatives aimed at facilitating their active engagement in political life. These sentiments were articulated at our conference titled "How to Achieve Effective Participation of Minorities and Other National Minority Communities in the Decisi