Foundation Open Society Institute–Representative Office Montenegro

The Foundation Open Society Institute–Representative Office Montenegro works to promote the country’s integration with the European Union; advance education; strengthen the rule of law, particularly around human rights, anticorruption, and election issues; and build the capacity of organizations working with groups that face discrimination, such as women and Roma.

The foundation has helped lead a long-term, wide-ranging public education campaign to increase knowledge around issues related to EU integration. Among other EU-education activities, the foundation has created an informational web portal and supported a civil society consortium to monitor the government’s EU integration plans.

To ensure that Montenegro meets EU human rights standards, the foundation, in addition to serving as a watchdog itself, has also engaged in training civil society groups to monitor, report, and litigate cases involving human rights violations. Similarly, the foundation has worked closely with Roma groups to increase their organizational capacity and support their efforts to ensure the government is effectively implementing its national strategy for Roma inclusion. The foundation has also been a strong supporter of women’s rights, raising awareness among policymakers and the broader public around issues such as domestic violence.

In the area of election reform, the foundation has been a leader in curbing electoral corruption and increasing democratic participation in elections. Such efforts have contributed to the adoption of new funding laws for political parties.