Our work
The Mission embraces a practical and results-oriented approach to promote improved governance and reform across the country’s security sector and the justice system; transparent, accountable, democratic and gender-sensitive institutions; and a free, professional and resilient media landscape. It supports the prevention and combatting of violence against women and girls, as well as youth empowerment and environmental protection across its three programmes.
Arms control
Decreasing threats posed by small arms and light weapons
Through a comprehensive and co-operative approach, the Mission supports the Ministries of Defence and Interior in establishing sustainable systems for the safe management of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and their ammunition in Montenegro.
It assists the authorities in combating the trafficking, misuse and proliferation of firearms, ammunition and explosives through two extrabudgetary projects. The first aims to develop national capacities for a sustainable life-cycle management system for weapons and explosive ordnance, while the second enhances police detection capabilities to improve the prevention, suppression and investigation of SALW misuse and trafficking. The Mission also supports the development of a legislative framework for the deactivation of SALW.
Better regulations for small arms and ammunition
Combating human trafficking
Strengthening co-operation among national institutions and civil society
Working primarily with the country’s Police Directorate, the Mission promotes a multi-sector approach to combating human trafficking. The Mission employs a victim-centred and gender-responsive methodology with a specialized, proactive approach to victim identification and investigation.
Police officers of the Sector of Public Order and Peace from Northern region of Montenegro participated at a training course on trafficking in human beings, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and Ministry of Interior’s Department for Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings, Kolašin, Montenegro, 8 October 2021.
Elections
Reform of the electoral system
The Mission provides expertise and support to the State Election Commission to increase transparency and capacity in administering elections, enhance public confidence, and ensure universal accessibility of election processes in line with OSCE commitments and recommendations made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
Environmental activities
Strengthening environmental governance
The Mission supports police and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental organizations, to enhance interagency co-operation and good practices, strengthen capacity and efficiency, and encourage more action against the illicit exploitation of natural resources. It promotes OSCE commitments and Ministerial Council Decisions on environmental protection, in line with international standards and best practices in this field.
Lake Skadar National Park, Montenegro.
Gender equality
Strengthening the legislative and institutional framework for gender equality
An overarching priority for the Mission is to reduce gender inequalities and mainstream gender equality across national institutions and municipalities in line with the 2004 OSCE gender action plan.
The Mission supported the development of the first National Strategy for Gender Equality and the inclusion of a gender perspective in the official methodology for drafting all national strategic documents, along with a guidance programme to educate staff on the methodology’s use. The Mission supports public administration staff with conducting gender analyses and developing, implementing and monitoring legislation and policies to reduce gender gaps, both nationally and in municipalities. Its main partners are the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, General Secretariat of the Government and the Ministry of Finance. The Mission supports public information campaigns to raise awareness of gender bias and gender-based discrimination and supports the collection of gender-disaggregated data to provide evidence on gender gaps.
To streamline gender equality principles in its daily work, the Mission has established an internal Gender Equality Working Group, which monitors the implementation of the Mission’s gender action plan.
Round table discussion on gender responsive budgeting in Montenegro, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Secretariat of the Competitiveness Council, Podgorica, October 2022.
Good governance
Supporting democratic governance principles and the values of the Ohrid Framework Agreement
The Mission supports Montenegro’s parliament and its committees with enhancing their legislative and oversight roles.
It implements the Action Plan for Gender-responsive Parliament, the first-of-its-kind in the region. It assists the Parliamentary Institute with increasing its public outreach and strengthening the capacities of parliamentary staff and supports the Library and Documentation Centre and Archives of Parliament, in particular with digitizing verbatim records from Parliamentary sessions since 1946.
The OSCE Mission to Montenegro provided the Parliament of Montenegro with 20 laptops to support E-Parliament and electronic sessions of parliamentary committees, Podgorica, 30 October 2021.
Human rights
Bringing human rights legislation in line with non-discrimination principles
The Mission supports the country’s institutions to address violence against women by employing a multi-sectoral approach. It works with courts, prosecutors and the police, as well as social, educational and health services, municipalities and non-governmental organizations to strengthen their co-operation and capacity to respond to violence, protect victims and address their needs.
In addition, the Mission supports licensed specialized services to enhance the protection of and accommodation for survivors of violence. The Mission supports a range of awareness-raising activities to bring to light different forms of violence perpetrated against women and girls.
Promotional material of the "See for yourself, you're not a small boy" campaign, which the OSCE Mission to Montenegro implements with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography and the NGO Women's Safe House, February 2025.
Media freedom and development
Supporting media development
In support of freedom of information, the Mission works to strengthen media professionalism by enhancing the capacities of journalists and media institutions to produce quality and reliable media content, in line with national and international standards. It published and disseminated a booklet on media literacy. It provides support for the development of the public service broadcaster, Radio Television Montenegro.
The Mission also supports the Ministry responsible for media in implementing media legislation and strategies, to promote an environment that enables independent and pluralistic media. The Mission works with the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services to increase the knowledge on media and digital literacy and, in partnership with the Protector of Human Rights, works against discriminatory speech. It supported the adoption of the Codex of Montenegrin Journalists in April 2016 and continues its efforts towards strengthening media self-regulation in Montenegro.
Policing
Helping develop a community-oriented police service
The Mission works to enhance the effectiveness and capacities of the Police Directorate toward developing a professional, democratic, accountable and efficient service.
The Mission supports police training and enhancement of outreach to citizens and regularly assesses progress of police reform and citizens’ level of trust in the police. Its recommendations included developing a police development strategy and communication plan, complemented by annual public perception surveys of the police in Montenegro. The Mission promotes gender equality in the police and supports public information campaigns encouraging women to pursue a career in policing.
In countering serious and organized crime, the Mission promotes advanced intelligence-led policing and facilitates training on human intelligence sources, the use of informants and the application of related software. The Mission works to enhance the national forensic centre’s capacity to analyse evidence and conduct full-range crime scene investigations and analyses. It also facilitates networking with forensic laboratories in South-Eastern Europe.
Cadets of the Police Academy during practical exercises at the training ground in Danilovgrad, Montenegro, April 2023.
Rule of law
Strengthening independence of the judiciary and assisting the legal reform process
The Mission is implementing a project on supporting a more effective administration of justice in serious corruption and organized crime cases, as part of the OSCE Regional Trial Monitoring Project on Combatting Organized Crime and Corruption in the Western Balkans (2021–2026), funded by the European Commission. The Mission also supports the state prosecutor’s office with improving communication with the public through a tailored communication plan and the TV series, Get to Know the Prosecution.
Judicial representatives and legal experts from six jurisdictions in the Western Balkans participating at the regional conference “Effective judicial response to organised crime and corruption in the Western Balkans”, organized within the OSCE Regional Trial Monitoring Project in Budva on 26 and 27 September 2024.
Youth
Engaging with young people
The Mission has made youth engagement a priority. It supports youth participation, regional youth networks and the adoption and implementation of a national youth policy.
The Mission supports the local branch of the Regional Youth Co-operation Office, emphasizing the development of skills in intercultural learning and reconciliation. At local level, and jointly with the Ministry in charge of youth, the Mission supports the capacities of local youth administrators in municipalities and encourages young people to participate in decision-making processes.
Participants of the third youth camp on “Intercultural Competencies in Sports”, organized by the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO) Local Branch Office in Montenegro, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Directorate for Sports and Youth, Kolašin, 13 October 2021.
OSCE in action
The Organization’s work and teams in related fields
The OSCE’s work is based on a comprehensive security concept, encompassing 23 fields of work. Learn more about the Organization’s activities and teams working in fields relevant to the Mission to Montenegro.
Combating trafficking in human beings
Elections
Good governance
Rule of law
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