In order to strength the management capacities of the NGO Coalition “All for Fair Trials” and increase the knowledge on existing trial monitoring systems of the leading actors of the NGO Coalition “All for Fair Trials”, on 24-26 January 2004, visit to the Legal System Monitoring Section (LSMS) of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has been organized based on the initiative of Rule of Law Project Officer, Mr. Simon Greuter.

At this visit, since criterion for participation was the level of involvement in the management of the Coalition and the trial observation project, priority was given to the president, the executive director, the project assistant and the seven regional co-coordinators of the Coalition.

The program started with a presentation by LSMS on the structure and the functioning of the LSMS on 24 February, in the OMIK main office in Pristina. During this part, the visitors were also provided by a set of documents prepared by LSMS, describing its main procedures, reporting forms etc. After that, the group met with the legal system monitor for Pristina region as well with an international public prosecutor. Also, the Coalition presented its project to the members of the LSMS. The director of OMIK Human Rights Department officially and warmly welcomed the group, and a session of mutual discussion and sharing of experiences and best practices concluded the first day of the visit.

On 25 February, the participants went on monitoring of ongoing murder trial in Gijlan –Kosovo.The trial attendance was followed by a joint discussion and “questions and answers” session with the legal system monitor of Gijlan region.

On 26 February, the entire group met with representatives of the Pristina affiliate of the Humanitarian Law Centre, a Belgrade based NGO involved in trial observation, and there was a lively exchange and discussion between all participants and the NGO representatives. The study visit was concluded with a presentation by LSMS on reporting and a final discussion and feedback session.

This visit have provide the Coalition with important information regarding the: qualitative approach of trial observation with less but more involved monitors, reporting with view towards internal and public reports, focusing of specific recommendations to one topic, presentation and distribution of the reports, selection of cases, structure of the LSMS and management of the monitoring process, access to information and files and functioning of the judicial system in Kosovo.