OSCE Mission to Skopje supports improvement of police oversight mechanism

SKOPJE, 22 December, 2005 - Improvements to the national police oversight mechanism and the need for an independent external oversight body, fully consistent with European standards, were among the recommendations in a recent report compiled by the OSCE-supported 'Human Rights Support Project'.

The 'Human Rights Support Project' is a coalition of five human rights non-governmental organizations (NGO).

The document follows the implementation of a two-year project, which has provided support to alleged victims of police misconduct, intended to improve the promotion and protection of human rights.

Over 100 alleged victims have been assisted by the initiative to-date.

"The report highlights the open dialogue that has been established between the police, civil society, the public and other institutions. Such co-operation is an essential feature of a functioning democracy," said Andrew Palmer, the Acting Head of the Rule of Law Unit of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

Mr Palmer also acknowledged that the implementing NGOs have developed a collaborative approach to tackling this issue.

Petar Jordanoski, the Co-ordinator of the project, noted that the report "...is the first serious attempt to review the effectiveness of the available national police oversight mechanism and to analyse if the assistance to the victims of police misconduct is properly directed. In the long run, the project endeavours to assist the Government in the implementation of police reform, strengthen the rule of law and increase public confidence towards the police."

The project will continue in 2006 with additional donor support from the Open Society Institute.