7/28/2021 OSCE and EU Delegation in North Macedonia launch project to monitor trials of corruption and organized crime cases | OSCE OSCE and EU Delegation in North Macedonia launch project to monitor trials of corruption and organized crime cases SKOPJE 28 July 2021 Ambassador Clemens Koja, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje (l), Minister of Justice of North Macedonia Bojan Marichikj (c), and Ambassador David Geer, Head of the EU Delegation (r) launch project to monitor trials of corruption and organized crime cases, 28 July 2021. (OSCE/Ilona Kazaryan) SKOPJE, 28 July 2021 - The OSCE Mission to Skopje launched an EU-funded project to support a more effective administration of justice by monitoring trials on corruption and organized crime cases in North Macedonia. This three-year project is part of a regional initiative implemented by OSCE field operations in Tirana, Podgorica, Skopje, Sarajevo, and Pristina. The project’s trial monitors will produce recommendations to help the courts, the prosecution, and law enforcement agencies increase their capacities to fight the corruption and organized crime that threaten long-term stability and prosperity in the region. The aim of the project is not to monitor individual cases but to identify systemic gaps that need to be addressed. “The project will develop recommendations identifying systemic issues in the processing of organized crime and corruption cases,” said Clemens Koja, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje. “The monitoring of trials effectively started last week and will continue until December 2023. Throughout this time, our Mission will monitor approximately 50 high and medium-level organized crime and corruption cases.” Ambassador David Geer, Head of the EU Delegation said: “The criminal justice system has a critical role to play in combatting corruption and organised crime. This project aims to support such efforts by establishing a system of trial monitoring designed to identify systemic weaknesses in the management of cases within the criminal justice system. By doing so it will not only strengthen the effectiveness of the courts but also send out a strong signal that there is no impunity for those involved in corruption and organized crime.” https://www.osce.org/mission-to-skopje/493885 1/2 7/28/2021 OSCE and EU Delegation in North Macedonia launch project to monitor trials of corruption and organized crime cases | OSCE Minister of Justice Bojan Marichikj said that the project would be a challenge for the Macedonian judicial system, but also a test. “The reforms we have been working so hard on and all amendments made so far are not just on paper, but they truly function in practice — an important step forward in the fight against corruption, which demands strong support and participation of all stakeholders." https://www.osce.org/mission-to-skopje/493885 2/2.