The European Union and Kosovo Government’s project launched in 2018 to bolster the capacities of the Kosovo Institute for Forensic Medicine (IFM) concludes with significant milestones achieved in terms of technical capacity building, institutional collaboration, and service modernization aligned with European standards.

The project ‘Further Support to Forensic Medicine in Kosovo’, which was implemented from February 2018 to December 2023, focused on crucial aspects such as establishing legal frameworks, operational procedures, toxicology and histopathology laboratory accreditation, governance capacity building, forensic expertise development, and international networking.

“Modern and efficient forensic medicine services ensure the thoroughness and credibility of investigations, which reinforce the fairness and transparency of justice delivery. In turn, this contributes to further strengthening the foundations of a just society,” said Johannes Madsen, Head of Cooperation at the EU Office in Kosovo.

The project’s key achievements touch upon various aspects of the IFM operations. Legal and policy impact include a Law amending the Law on Forensic Medicine; amendments to the Law on Criminal Procedure related to forensic medicine; participation in the Law on Experts, and development of secondary legislation, e.g., the Regulation on internal organization and systematization of IFM and Administrative Instruction on the Use of the Forensic Case Management System (FCMS). The implementation of FCMS streamlines internal processes through digitalization, from inventory management to evidence tracking.

With regards to the accreditation process for the Toxicology and Histopathology Laboratories, to date, the IFM succeeded in submitting accreditation requests to the Directorate of Accreditation of Kosovo. Itcompleted with success the international proficiency testing, ensuring accuracy and quality in toxicology and histopathology methods, and installed a Quality Management System at the level of the overall organization.

The Project supported expertise enhancement within the IFM and developed a curriculum for the Academy of Judges and Public Prosecutors on Forensic Medicine Module, contributing to capacity building within the legal system. In addition to achieving a memorandum of understanding with the University of Split, the IFM expanded international collaboration with the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology in Athens, and enrolled into the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, receiving an invitation for membership in the European Council of Legal Medicine.

The Acting director of the IFM, Dr. Ditor Haliti, said: “Through the EU support, we have succeeded in increasing the quality of our services, improving processes, and gaining world-class expertise.”.

The work completed during the project's duration serves as a blueprint for the further enhancement of forensic services in Kosovo, underlining the commitment of the European Union and the Kosovo Government to further strengthen the foundations of the rule of law.