Prime Minister's Adviser Jovan Kojičić pays official visit to Canada to discuss human rights and anti-discrimination cooperation

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Toronto – Ottawa, Canada – Dr Jovan Kojičić, Adviser to Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, paid an official visit to Canada to examine human rights and anti-discrimination initiatives, with a specific emphasis on LGBT equality and rights through a judicial and educational lens.

At the outset of this important visit, the first of its kind between the two countries, Mr Kojičić emphasised the strength of the existing partnerships while highlighting the need to expand on co-operation in four key areas: The Judiciary and Rule of Law, The Education System, Foreign Affairs, Strategic Development.

The Toronto Police Service and Egale Canada Human Rights Trust delivered the ‘Report Homophobic Violence Program’ (RHVP) in Montenegro in 2013. The programme engages victims of hate crime, police services and the broader community with the aim of improving the lives of affected victims. The programme complements the LGBT human rights strategy developed and coordinated by Mr Kojičić and the Government of Montenegro and is a first step to creating awareness and understanding of anti-discrimination polices within the Montenegrin judiciary.

On February 5, Mr Kojičić met with Toronto Chief of Police William Blair, who commended him and the Government for the important advances being made with the implementation of the strategy and pledged to continue to support the relationship between the Toronto Police Service and the Police Service in Montenegro.

Mr Kojičić also accompanied a team from ECHRT to Canada’s capital, Ottawa, where he met with senior officials from the Government of Canada Department of Foreign Affairs. These meetings culminated in a number of specific highlights, including preliminary plans for a regional summit hosted by Montenegro in partnership with the Government of Canada.

A series of meetings were held with the senior staff of ECHRT to review and disseminate programmatic themes that would integrate academia, civil society and government that would systematically improve not only the lived experiences of LGBT people locally but to position Montenegro as a leader in anti-discrimination policy and LGBT human rights in the entire region.