New study program 'Law of the Council of Europe' opened at the Faculty of Law of UNSA

(Patria) - The Faculty of Law of the University of Sarajevo, in cooperation with the Council of Europe, organized the official opening of a new master's program specialization for the academic year 2023/2024, 'Law of the Council of Europe'.

The official opening was attended by Prof. Dr. Zinka Grbo, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Sarajevo, Head of the Department of State and International Public Law Prof. Dr. Jasminka Gradaščević-Sijerčić, Bojana Urumova, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo, H.E. Mr. Olav Reinertsen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and H.E. Dr. Thomas Fitschen, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to BiH.

“Studying human rights within university education is a necessary tool for educating young lawyers equipped to apply certain values and norms in their daily work. Quality education in this field raises the culture of human rights because young lawyers promote values such as democracy, tolerance,
multiculturalism, equality, and non-discrimination. Ethical values lead to sensitization to human rights issues, reduction of corruption, promotion of voluntary pro bono work, as well as advocacy for equal and effective access to justice,” stated Prof. Dr. Zinka Grbo, Dean of the Faculty of Law.

The new master's program 'Law of the Council of Europe' is the result of continuous activities of the Council of Europe within the project 'Initiative for Legal Certainty and Effective Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Phases I, II, and III' with the aim of recognizing and highlighting the exceptional importance of human rights education for law students.

„The introduction of this specialization is of great importance, as the goal is to train legal professionals to apply the standards of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law directly in their professional work. Law students participating in this program will be equipped to contribute to social change in a positive way,“ emphasized Bojana Urumova, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.

„The Council of Europe has been organizing semester and annual clinics, summer and winter schools on human rights for years. We are very pleased that faculties, in this case the Faculty of Law of the University of Sarajevo, have recognized the need to introduce such education. I would like to express special thanks to Dean Grbo, as well as the entire department, which is ready to share its knowledge on methods of legal protection within the Council of Europe system,“ added Urumova.

Students of the new master's program at the Faculty of Law of the University of Sarajevo, 'Law of the Council of Europe,' will have a unique opportunity to acquire new knowledge with the aim of taking positive steps in the context of human rights, which through this master's education program should significantly facilitate the process of legal certainty in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.

The cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Faculty of Law of UNSA through the new study program was realized within the Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2022-2025, with, among others, significant financial support from the governments of the Kingdom of Norway in BiH and the Federal Republic of Germany.

“Norway has made strong efforts in the past period to take an important role in maintaining and strengthening the values and principles of the Council of Europe. Through financial support agreements for projects, we have established a strong partnership with the Council of Europe with the aim of addressing challenges related to fundamental rights, judicial reform, protection of minorities, and the fight against intolerance and hate speech,” said H.E. Mr. Olav Reinertsen, Norwegian Ambassador to BiH.

The master's program 'Law of the Council of Europe,' starting from the 2023/2024 academic year as a new and regular master's program specialization at the Faculty of Law in Sarajevo, will last for two semesters. In addition to the established standards within the European Convention on Human Rights and the relevant legal protection mechanism (European Court of Human Rights), students will also acquire knowledge about the secondary rights of the Council of Europe, such as the Istanbul Convention (gender equality and prevention and
protection from domestic violence) and the European Social Charter (fundamental social and economic rights, such as employment, housing, healthcare, education, social protection, and welfare).

The first cohort has 20 participants.