The rule of law, respect for human rights and democratic governance are at the heart of the EU accession process. To support reform processes in these areas, the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE) have been closely cooperating in the Western Balkans and Turkey through the Horizontal Facility for many years.
This project is funded under the Horizontal Facility II, with the aim of strengthening the capacity of national and local stakeholders to better address issues related to anti-discrimination, combating hate speech and protecting the rights of LGBTI persons. It also features a strong awareness raising dimension with a view to promoting a diverse society, free from hate speech.
Diversity and equality represent core European values and as such are vital for the process of European integration. This project promotes diversity and equality in Montenegro. It is expected to improve the record of implementation of anti-discrimination policies and legislation at the central and local level. Also, it will help achieve better protection of the rights of citizens of Montenegro and build a more tolerant society open to differences of its members.
The project provides support to civil society organisations and local authorities through small grant schemes, with a view to strengthening their capacities to tackle discrimination and reach out to citizens. There are three such grant schemes:
- “Combating hate speech on digital platforms” – implemented by the Civic Alliance, with the aim of increasing the knowledge and awareness of the general public, especially youth in Montenegro, about the dangers posed by hate speech. Additionally, it promotes the means to develop counter-narratives, especially in pandemic times.
- “Efficient responses to urgent needs of the LGBTIQ community in the time of COVID-19” – implemented by the LGBTIQ Social Centre. This small grant is focused on addressing the challenges faced by LGBTIQ community in their everyday lives, including hate speech and violent LGBTIQ-phobic behaviour, through monitoring institutional responses and provision of free psychosocial support services.
- “Montenegrin youth against hate speech” – implemented by the NGO Young Roma. The project contributes to the prevention of hate speech in Montenegrin society by promoting the principles and values of anti-discrimination and the human rights culture of the Roma community. It also assists in raising public awareness about the importance of anti-discrimination policies.
More about the Horizontal Facility Programme
The first phase of the programme ran from 2016 to 2019, while the second phase covers the period from 2019 to 2022. The total value of the facility is approximately €41 million (85% funded by the EU, 15% by the CoE). In the first phase of the programme, there were six beneficiary-specific actions for Montenegro, with a total budget of €3.33 million. In the second phase, €4.7 million have been allocated for seven actions, covering all the key areas of the Horizontal Facility such as: justice reform, human rights protection, prison and police reform, fight against economic crime, fight against discrimination and inclusive education.