DEMOCRATIZATION  Bishkek, 27 November 2018. ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir (l) meets with Svetlana Artykova, Deputy Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Mazhlis in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the Seventh Expert Forum on Criminal Justice for Central Asia in Bishkek. (OSCE/ Gréta Gunnarsdóttir) RULE OF LAW The right to a fair trial ODIHR worked towards the realization of fair trial rights, including through the organization of the 7th Expert Forum on Criminal Justice for Central Asia in Bishkek in November, in partnership with the Kyrgyz Supreme Court and other international partners. The forum served as a platform for 130 criminal justice experts (75 men, 55 women) to assess the impact of recent reforms in Central Asia and to discuss future reform steps. To enable the identification of systemic obstacles to the fairness, transparency and effectiveness of justice systems, ODIHR continued to provide civil society with the skills and methodology to observe trials and analyze their findings. Training in May in Skopje and ODIHR’s Annual Trial Monitoring Meeting in June in Kyiv benefited 65 participants at both events (44 women, 21 men) to this end. In 2018, ODIHR started to expand its approach to monitoring by looking more closely at gender aspects of fair trials and at processes for the selection, evaluation and promotion of judges. Fair trial rights were also the focus of seminars relating to criminal proceedings, e-justice and domestic violence for 112 legal professionals (54 women, 58 men) on 19 and 20 June, 4 October and 6 December in Minsk as a part of an EU-funded project focusing on democratization and human rights in Belarus. Independence of the judiciary ODIHR continued to assist participating States in meeting OSCE commitments relating to the independence and accountability of judges, involving 78 people (35 women, 43 men) in expert roundtable meetings. These provided advice on compliance with international standards and OSCE commitments on the independence of the judiciary, highlighting in particular the principle of separation of powers between the judiciary and the executive, and the security “ It is crucial that professionals working in the area of criminal justice have an opportunity to assess the effect of changes in legislation and policy on their day-to-day work and proceedings. The Expert Forum is unique in that it provides this opportunity on a bi-annual basis across the region.” ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, at the Central Asia Criminal Justice Forum : :  23