DEMOCRATIZATION Kayum Yusupov, a defence attorney from Tajikistan, peruses materials distributed at the ODIHR Regional Expert Roundtable on Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings in Central Asia, which aimed to support the development of efficient criminal legal aid mechanisms in the region, Bishkek, 15 May 2013. (OSCE/Vladislav Ushakov) and international standards on the independence of judges, the Kyiv Recommendations on Judicial Independence form the basis for country-specific discussions with decision-makers, scholars and legal communities in the OSCE area. Building on conclusions from such discussions, ODIHR offers specialized technical assistance to participating States in relation to the independence and accountability of judges. On 11 and 12 April in Yerevan, ODIHR co-organized a roundtable meeting on the implementation of Armenia’s 2012-2016 strategic programme for legal and judicial reform with the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Council of Europe. The event provided a platform for dialogue on planned judicial reforms and for the exchange of good practices related to the independence, accountability and professionalism of judges. Some 50 participants attended, including Armenia’s Justice Minister, representatives from governmental and judicial authorities, civil society representatives and other stakeholders in judicial reform. The conclusions of the event contributed to the continuing reform debate, which ultimately led to the adoption of a new law to strengthen judicial self-governance and the independence of individual judges. ODIHR also presented the Kyiv Recommendations at a meeting of the EU Eastern Partnership Panel on Improved Functioning of the Judiciary on 17 June in Chisinau, highlighting their relevance for judicial reform in various participating States. The meeting was organized by the European Commission and brought together representatives from the governments and judiciaries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and EU and Council of Europe officials working to support judicial reform. ODIHR supported a conference on the Ukrainian Justice System in the Context of European Standards, organized by the Centre for Political and Legal Reforms, a Ukrainian think tank, on 12 September in Kyiv. The conference brought together some 80 stakeholders in judicial reform in Ukraine to discuss initiatives to amend the constitution to strengthen judicial independence. ODIHR used this occasion to follow up on the conclusions of the conference on 24  /   ODIHR Annual Report 2013