Kosova Democratic Institute (KDI) jointly with FOL Movement and Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) based in Hague, Netherlands, launched the project “Promoting Integrity in the Justice System”.

This project, supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Pristina, aims to increase the integrity and empower the judiciary and state prosecutor’s independence, with a view to establishing a strong justice system, and improving public trust in the justice system.

During the launching event of the project the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Kosovo, Gerrie Willems, stressed that by implementing this project we will be able to better understand the current situation regarding integrity issues within the judicial and the prosecutorial systems, increase understanding about the capacity to deal with the integrity issues within the judicial and the prosecutorial system, and increase awareness about integrity issues among citizens.

“This project will open up another angle of the debate on integrity within the justice system in Kosovo. In this form we can increase the overall trust of citizens on prosecution and courts and improve the overall rule of law situation in Kosovo” the Ambassador stressed.

Deputy Director of Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC), Eric Vincken said that “Integrity is a concept we are faced with every day and in whatever role we have to play. So it is not an exclusive issue for the judiciary. Integrity also needs maintenance, permanent monitoring and mechanisms to deal with integrity breaches, not only in Kosovo or the Netherlands, but in any country in the world”.

The Chair of the Kosovo Judicial Council, Nehat Idrizi, said that this project serves as a conceptual framework for conducting research, analysis, recommendations and capacity building regarding the integrity in the Kosovo judicial system. “We have consistently expressed our friendly approach to initiatives aiming promotion of integrity and increasing public confidence in the judicial system,” he added.

Whereas, Chairperson of Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, Blerim Isufaj, has emphasized that integrity is a vital prerequisite for the independent, impartial and professional functioning of the justice system, and according to him, any activity that aims promoting integrity is very important for the system. “This project, carrying out qualitative and quantitative researches will help us greatly in identifying the progress and challenges of the prosecutorial system, which will serve the council on making the right decisions,” he said, among other things.

The event was concluded with the ceremony of signing of the memorandum of cooperation related to this project between project representatives and Chairpersons of both Councils.