POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE organized a workshop for 42 participants, which emphasized positive obligations of judges, prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, victim advocates, representatives from the Centre for Social Work and the Gjilan/Gnjilane Women’s Shelter, as responsible institutions dealing with sexual violence crimes. The workshop highlighted best practices in the provision of rehabilitative measures, support and protection for the victims of sexual violence. In addition, on 10 May in Ferizaj/Uroševac, the Mission organized a similar event gathering actors involved in the handling of cases of domestic violence. The event gathered 20 participants, including judges, prosecutors, Victim Advocacy Officers, representatives of the Centre for Social Welfare, representatives of the Women’s Shelter, police and lawyers from the region of Ferizaj/Uroševac. The Mission’s proposed amendment to the Criminal Code to include domestic violence as a separate criminal offence was praised by participants as a positive development, which would raise awareness in society and help reduce the number of instances of violence. The Ferizaj/Uroševac Basic Prosecution Office stated that they have appointed a prosecutor as Domestic Violence Co-ordinator, so that each case received with a domestic violence element is clearly recorded as such and can therefore be treated with priority both at the prosecution stage and when it reaches the court. From 8 May to 7 June, the DHRC of the Mission jointly with the KP Domestic Violence Unit held five workshops for secondary school students on gender equality and gender-based violence in the municipalities of Gjakovë/Đakovica, Gjilan/Gnjilane, Skenderaj/Srbica, Suharekë/Suva Reka and Prishtinë/Priština. The workshops were held with groups of school students and respective school psychologists or pedagogues in each of the five municipalities, with approximately 125 participants. The overall objective of the workshops was to develop awareness amongst school students on forms of gender-based violence, where to report gender-based violence cases and available services to protect victim’s rights. Furthermore, the sessions on gender-based violence specifically addressed the role of school educational institutions to prevent gender-based violence by identifying potential victims, reporting cases to the KP and strengthening co-operation amongst school representatives, potential victims, parents and school psychologists or pedagogues with the aim to improve the efficient response to the potential victims of gender-based violence and properly address their concerns and needs to the respective human rights mechanisms. On 17 May, in Gračanica/Graçanicë, the DHRC of the Mission organized a workshop for 28 participants on handling domestic violence cases by the justice institutions. Judges and prosecutors, including newly integrated judges and prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, and representatives of the Victim’s Advocacy Office, Centre for Social Work and the Ombudsperson’s Institution attended the workshop. The workshop included presentations on the subject matter and applicable legislation, and a discussion on best international practices on handling these cases. The newly integrated judges and prosecutors also had an opportunity to meet relevant stakeholders engaged in combating domestic violence which should improve future co-operation and co-ordination. On 19 June, in Obiliq/Obilić, the DHRC of the Mission organized a workshop with Prishtinë/Priština regional- and municipal-level officials dealing with domestic violence cases and with CSOs. The participants learned about the roles and responsibilities of victim advocates, Centre for Social Work, Domestic Violence Unit of the KP and the Agency for Free Legal Aid, as well as the Prishtinë/Priština shelter for domestic violence victims as respondents in domestic violence cases. Best practices in the prevention and provision of protection and support for victims of domestic violence were presented and discussed. The event gathered 28 participants. On 21 June, in Pejë/Peć, the DHRC of the Mission organized a workshop with the representatives of regional justice and non-justice institutions dealing with protection against domestic violence from the municipalities of Deçan/Dečane, Gjakovë/Đakovica, Istog/Istok, Junik, Klinë/Klina, Malishevë/ Mališevo, Pejë/Peć and Rahovec/Orahovac. The workshop addressed the application of the SOPs for Protection from Domestic Violence in line with the Strategy on Protection from Domestic Violence and Action Plan 2016–2020 and Kosovo commitment to the Istanbul Convention. The keynote speakers touched on the work, practice and shortcomings when supporting victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence, the medical support given to victims of domestic violence and the sensitivity techniques for interviewing victims. The participants were 306 representatives from the KP, health institutions, the Centre for Social Work, Victims’ Advocacy and Assistance Office, shelters, free legal aid, CSOs and NGOs, and the Ombudsperson Institution (OI). The participants made concrete recommendations on introducing necessary amendments to the SOPs, and supporting first responders to domestic violence cases in their role. On 5 July, in Gjakovë/Đakovica, the DHRC of the Mission held a workshop with justice actors on the proper handling of domestic violence cases. The workshop gathered 34 participants, including judges, prosecutors, police officers, Victim Advocacy officers, representatives from the Centre for Social Welfare, and the Women’s Shelters for victims. The participants discussed the responsibilities and positive obligations of judges, prosecutors, police, and other respondents to domestic violence cases on adequate response mechanisms for the prevention and handling of such cases and rehabilitation of victims of domestic violence and gender- 67