Internews Kosova, in cooperation with UNDP, delivered a two-day training in the framework of the project “SAEK II – Supporting Anti-Corruption Efforts in Kosovo” in Peja on 29 to 30 November regarding the role of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the use of media.

The training brought together chief prosecutors, prosecutors and other public communications officials within the Basic Prosecution Office of Kosovo from various municipalities such as Prishtina, Peja, Gjakova, Mitrovica, Prizren, Gjilan, etc., as well as senior officials from those municipalities. Bahri Hyseni – Director of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and Lavdim Krasniqi – Director of the Secretariat of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council also attended the training.

Key speakers of this training were Faik Ispahiu, Director of Internews Kosova, Kreshnik Gashi – Author and Editor of “Justice in Kosovo”, and Labinot Leposhtica – Member of the Board of the Press Council of Kosovo.

On the first day of the training, the sessions focused on topics such as the “New Media Communication Regulations” with a focus on solving and addressing daily public communication problems, “Building a Public Communication Plan” including the planning of public appearances, preparing the environment for press conferences, live broadcasts and media presence, “Organizing public appearances, press conferences and prosecutors’ appearances in court hearings”, and “Prosecution Communication Challenges on daily basis”.

On the second day it was talked about the “Prosecutors’ Public Speaking” and “Simulating public appearances, analyzing and extracting errors”. The training ended with a discussion on the needs of changing practices and identifying the needed resources in the State Prosecutor’s Office for Public Relations and deriving recommendations from conferences.

The overall focus of the training was the Prosecution’s cooperation with the public and the best way to use the media for professional public relations within the Prosecution.

As mentioned above, this training was organized as part of the UNDP-supported SAEK II project, an innovative anti-corruption approach aimed at strengthening institutional transparency, accountability and integrity, with a focus on technological tools, access to information and open participation in decision-making processes.