OSCE helps Kosovo police, prosecutors co-operate with media
A series of six regional training sessions for the police, prosecutors and journalists on co-operation concluded on 30 June 2011 in Prishtinë/Priština.
The course, organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, focused on the media’s role in scrutinizing the work of the law enforcement agencies and ways to improve co-operation and communications between the prosecutors’ offices, police and the media.
“Our training course focused on the rights and obligations of each of the parties in relation to reporting on the work of the police and on judicial proceedings and in informing the public,” said Carsten Twelmeier, the Director of the OSCE Mission’s Department for Security and Public Safety.
The course covered topics such as the legal framework and police and legal terminology. It also highlighted the law enforcement agencies’ best practices in working with the media. These include informing journalists about cases being processed and inviting them to report from the investigation sites, informing the media about results when cases are closed, providing photos and providing resources for journalists at police sites.
“This course helped us improve relations with journalists,” said Besim Kelmendi from the Office of the Kosovo Special Prosecutor. “The prosecutor’s office is trying to be more transparent and we have recently established an information office where the public and media can access information on the ongoing and completed cases.”
More than 120 participants, including 90 journalists, attended the sessions held in Gjilan/Gnjilane, Ferizaj/Uroševac, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, Pejë/Peć, Prizren, and Prishtinë/Priština.
In follow up to the course, the OSCE Mission will issue a set of recommendations on how to improve co-operation between the media and the law enforcement agencies and will deliver an additional course on designing and implementing public safety awareness campaigns.
The OSCE Mission is helping develop a sustainable public safety sector in Kosovo.