Expert Meeting on the 2010 Kyiv Recommendations on Judicial Independence

This meeting will address contemporary challenges and good practices relating to judicial administration against the backdrop of a planned review of available ODIHR guidance on judicial independence. 

In 2010, the ODIHR Kyiv Recommendations on Judicial Independence in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia were developed to disseminate good judicial administration practices in the respective sub-regions, with the aim of encouraging implementation of OSCE commitments and international standards.

The Recommendations have since been used extensively by national authorities, civil society, OSCE field operations and other international organizations, and have inspired judicial administration reforms in many OSCE participating States.

Yet, 10 years after their formulation, new challenges and trends have emerged. To address these, ODIHR embarked on a project to review and update the Kyiv Recommendations in order to be able to respond to current needs of policymakers and practitioners.

The expert meeting is being convened in order to discuss the scope and format of updated Kyiv Recommendations based on a gap analysis conducted earlier this year. Topics to be discussed include the selection and promotion of judges, disciplinary proceedings against them, the composition and mandate of judicial self-governing bodies, the involvement of civil society and the role of court presidents.

Participants are experts on judicial independence and administration of justice from across the OSCE region, as well as representatives of regional and international organizations with a rule of law mandate.

The Kyiv Recommendations will be updated as part of the project “Strengthening Inclusive and Accountable Democratic Institutions in the OSCE Region", implemented with funds from several participating States, including Germany, Ireland, Norway and the United States.