Commissioner Muiznieks, Interior Minister Konjević: Montenegro has high level of understanding about human and minority rights

Podgorica, Montenegro ( 20 March 2014) -- Montenegro has a high level of understanding about human and minority rights, but there are still challenges in tackling this issue, Montenegro’s Minister of the Interior Raško Konjević and Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner Nils Muiznieks concluded at a meeting in Podgorica earlier today.

In the context of respecting and protecting LGBT rights, Minister Konjević informed Commissioner Muiznieks about the Interior Ministry’s activities towards securing Montenegro's two pride parades, emphasising that particular attention is to be paid to the implementation of strategies for improving lives of LGBT people. Commissioner Muiznieks welcomed activities in this area, adding that Montenegro, thanks to its committed work on this issue, has earned praise from abroad and can set a positive example for other countries in the region.

As to media freedom, Interior Minister Konjević stressed the importance of the media in all democratic societies and stressed the efforts Montenegro is investing in order to shed light on unsolved cases of attacks on journalists and media assets. By the same token, he informed the CoE ‘s Commissioner about setting up a commission to monitor actions of the competent authorities in investigating cases of intimidation and violence against journalists, murders of journalists and attacks on media property. It was agreed that the establishment of such an independent body is a significant step forward in strengthening cooperation between the media and the government authorities.

The meeting also addressed a number of efforts Montenegro made to address the issue of refugees and internally displaced persons, including the extension of the deadline for submitting requests for obtainig permanent resident status, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, and the UNHCR aiming to permanently resolve this issue.