Opening session

Welcome from the organisers and introduction to the Forum

Biljana Braithwaite, Western Balkans Programme Director, the AIRE Centre

Goran Miletić, Director for Europe, Civil Rights Defenders

Welcome from the Forum supporters

Hartmut Rank, Head of Rule of Law Programme South East Europe, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

The ECHR and the Pandemic – Rule of Law as the Lodestar of the Convention System

Robert Spano, President of the European Court of Human Rights

Upholding Human Rights in Times of a Public Health Crisis

Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

Break

Convention rights affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and by States’ responses to the
pandemic, including a discussion of the positive and negative obligations on States

Panel discussion

Moderators: Judge Tim Eicke and Biljana Braithwaite

Panellists: Judges and former judges of the European Court of Human Rights

Judge Jovan Ilievski: Positive obligations on States in relation to the right to life

Judge Ivana Jelić: Positive obligations on States in relation to the
prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment

Ledi Bianku (former Judge): The right to liberty and security and the right to freedom of movement
Judge Paul Lemmens: Overcoming challenges to the proper functioning of the judiciary during a pandemic

Break

Convention rights affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and by States’ responses to the pandemic, including a discussion of the positive and negative obligations on States (continuation)

Panel discussion

Moderator: President Robert Spano

Panellists: Judges of the European Court of Human Rights

Judge Darian Pavli: The right to private life and freedom of religion

Judge Anja Seibert-Fohr: Freedom of expression and assembly

Judge Ksenija Turković: The right to education, property, and free elections

Judge Tim Eicke: The principles of legality and proportionality

Judge Faris Vehabović: Derogations from the Convention in times of emergency

End of Day One

(Forum continues in regional city hubs until 17h00 with moderated discussion ‘Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on human rights protection in the countries of the region’)

Overview of the situation in the Western Balkans

Reporting back from the national working groups

Moderator: Krešimir Kamber, the Jurisconsult´s Directorate, European Court of Human Rights

Break

Future challenges in the protection of human rights – a discussion in light of relevant ECHR jurisprudence

Panel discussion

Moderator: Ledi Bianku, former Judge at the European Court of Human Rights and Associate Professor, University of Strasbourg Panellists: Judges and former judges of the European Court of Human Rights

Judge Ksenija Turković

Judge Paul Lemmens

Judge Ivana Jelić

Judge Anja Seibert-Fohr

Mirjana Lazarova Trajkovska (former Judge)

Closing discussion

Conclusions from the Forum

President Robert Spano

Biljana Braithwaite

Goran Miletić