The participants of workshop in Belgrade Western Balkans region
At the end of 2024, German-speaking (junior) lawyers and language mediators from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, who had already taken part in various internships, language courses and courses on German law organised by the IRZ, discussed current topics in German law and the participating countries at the Institute for Comparative Law in Belgrade.
The aim of the workshop, which was conducted entirely in German, was not only to strengthen the legal knowledge of the alumni, but also to improve their ability to exchange ideas in German on legal issues and to network with each other.
The participants themselves also gave presentations on topics such as the legal requirements for the EU accession sought by the partner states in the Western Balkans and comparative legal presentations on German law and the law of the region. Other priorities were constitutional law and legal training for trainee lawyers in Germany on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law.
The extensive programme of events was interspersed with entertaining elements such as a quiz on German law and the presentation of a birthday cake for the Basic Law, which was accepted by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Serbia, Mr Carsten Meyer-Wiefhausen.
2nd from left: Former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court Prof Dr Gabriele Britz Bosnia and Herzegovina
The application of fundamental rights in environmental and climate protection by Constitutional Courts was the subject of a regional conference of the Constitutional Courts of the Western Balkans, which was organised by the IRZ together with the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 26 – 28 November 2024 in Tuzla.
The venue was carefully chosen in view of the topic discussed. As a major industrial centre, Tuzla is considered to be the city in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the greatest environmental impact.
On the basis of the environmental protection practice of the participating courts and the 2021 climate protection decision of the Federal Constitutional Court, the presidents of the Constitutional Courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and the EU member states Croatia and Slovenia discussed the issue together with Prof Dr Gabriele Britz, former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court.
All participants agreed that the case-law of the Constitutional Courts should no longer be aimed solely at the present, but should also look to the future in order to protect future generations. They also unanimously emphasised the human rights component of climate protection. The results of the event will be summarised by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a conference volume that will increase sustainability and provide an insight into the case-law of the constitutional courts of the Western Balkan states and the Federal Constitutional Court on environmental and climate protection.
Experts and participants of the workshop "Sexualised violence against women, especially as victims of war and against refugee women". Bosnia and Herzegovina
"Sexualised violence against women, especially as victims of war and against refugee women" was the focus of a workshop on 26 September 2024 in Sarajevo. The topic is highly topical in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is located on the Balkan route and is increasingly not only a transit country but also a host country for refugees.
The event took place within the framework of institutional support and was jointly organised by IRZ and the non-governmental organisation Vaša Prava, which operates a nationwide network for legal advice and representation of people in need and vulnerable groups. The target groups and participants were addressees from all governmental and non-governmental institutions working in the field of "migration and asylum procedures".
Using numerous case studies, the speakers raised awareness of the various constellations in which refugee women experience sexualised violence. Examples included experiences of abuse in the country of origin and during flight, but also in the host country and in the accommodation centres there. They referred to the recognition of sexualised violence as a recognised reason for flight and asylum.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina – as in Germany – it is a major problem for victims to provide evidence when reporting cases of sexualised violence during the asylum procedure, which means that the act of violence cannot always be classified as clearly gender-specific. This can have a negative impact on the determination of a corresponding asylum status.
The public in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not yet sufficiently aware of gender-specific or sexualised crimes, which are often not perceived as crimes. As in cases of domestic violence, victims often do not report the offences out of shame or fear of the perpetrators. Another complicating factor for victim protection is the lack of accommodation facilities, which leads to overcrowding in many places. Imprecise legal provisions, such as the regulations regarding so-called "safe zones" for refugees, are another problem.
The exchange of experiences during the workshop was unanimously recognised by the participants as a further step towards safeguarding the rights of refugee women, strengthening their position in society and thus increasing gender equality in the sense of strengthening human rights.
