The initiative of 17 NGOS for Montenegro to ratify Protocol 16 to the European Convention

Today, 17 NGOs sent the Initiative to the President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Danijela Đurović, to put on the agenda as soon as possible the Proposal of the Government of Montenegro from 6 June 2022 for ratification of Protocol 16 to the European Convention for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Ratification of the Protocol will enable the highest national courts in Montenegro to seek advisory opinions from the European Court of Human Rights “on matters of principle concerning the interpretation or application of the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention or its Protocols” in  pending cases. This means that Montenegro would have the opportunity to eliminate potential human rights violations in a timely manner in its legal system and, hence, reduce the number of petitions before the European Court of Human Rights. This is necessary given that Montenegro in 2019 and 2020 was the first in terms of population of the total number of petitions submitted to this court.

The signatories of the Initiative are:

  1. Human rights action (HRA), Tea Gorjanc Prelević, Executive Director;
  2. ANIMA – Center for Women’s and Peace Education, Ervina Dabižinović, coordinator;
  3. Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), Milena Bešić, Director;
  4. Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), Milica Kovačević, Programe Director;
  5. Center for Civil Liberties (CEGAS), Marija Popović Kalezić, Executive Director;
  6. Centre for Civic Education (CCE), Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director;
  7. Center for Investigative Journalism in Montenegro (CIN – CG), Milka Tadić Mijović, President;
  8. Monitoring and Research Center (CeMI), Zlatko Vujović, President of the Board of Directors;
  9. Centre for the Development of Non-Governmental Organizations (CRNVO), Zorana Marković, Executive Director;
  10. Center for Women’s Rights, Maja Raičević, Executive Director;
  11. Institut Alternative, Stevo Muk, predsjednik Upravnog odbora;
  12. Juventas, Ivana Vojvodić, izvršna direktorica;
  13. Queer Montenegro, Danijel Kalezić, President of the Board of Directors;
  14. LGBT Forum Progress, John M. Barac, Executive Director;
  15. Network for Affirmation of the NGO Sector (MANS), Vanja Ćalović Marković, Executive Director;
  16. Politikon Network, Nikola Mumin, Executive Director;
  17. NGO Prima, Aida Perović, Executive Director.