Speech by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kosovo, Carin Lobbezoo, on the occasion of the Annual Conference of Prosecutors (VIDEO)
Madam President
Minister of Justice
Chief State prosecutor
Chair of KPC
Dear prosecutors
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all I would like to thank today’s hosts the Chief State Prosecutor and the Chair of the KPC for inviting me to speak at your Annual Conference. It is both an honor and pleasure for me.
I am often asked why the Netherlands attaches such great value to the Rule of Law. For us the Rule of Law is “a winning concept”. It is a precondition for a well-functioning democracy; it is fundamental for economic growth, for stability, accountability and for making sure that we are all the same before the law.
Rule of law is the foundation and if the foundation is strong, the rest will follow.
Of course building this foundation is not an easy task. It takes time, it brings challenges, it requires difficult decisions and it is just plain hard work.
Throughout the years via our programmes and experts, the Netherlands has been Kosovo’s partner in strengthening the Rule of Law.
Our support for the prosecution system, for making it independent, accountable, effective and efficient has been and still is, a key element in our Rule of Law engagement in Kosovo.
And if we take a step back, we see that a lot of progress has been made and much has been achieved. This is something to be proud of and to which all of you have contributed substantially under not always easy circumstances.
But there is still work to be done and improvements to be made. I fully understand the challenges that come with further strengthening the justice system.
Most of the time there are no quick fixes or easy solutions.
But I am convinced that with your commitment and engagement, it is possible to create an effective and efficient prosecutorial system in which difficult cases like organized crime and high level corruption can be successfully prosecuted.
However, I cannot stress enough the importance of your work as prosecutors. In my mind you can become “the modern heroes of your country”. But how to do this?
Well with some inspiration from my own line of work –diplomacy- and a little help of my legal adviser I have a 3 suggestions on which you may want to reflect.
First of all. Show what you are doing. By communicating to the media on successful investigations, indictments and prosecutions, you will built trust in the judicial system and at the same time make clear that crime doesn’t pay off.
Secondly. Be in charge. Clearly the prosecution works closely with the police but it should be the prosecutor who leads the process, determines the strategy for the investigation and decides on the way forward.
Thirdly. Be prepared. On difficult cases work together in teams. Discussing cases with colleagues helps to be better prepared when presenting cases. Teamwork also ensures high quality investigations and helps avoiding legal loopholes or deadlines that may defeat you in the process. And always include sequestration and confiscation. It is the only way to ensure proper punishment of organized crime and high-level corruption.
I hope that you may take some inspiration from this and maybe discuss this further during your Conference.
In the meantime, let me assure you that you can count on the support of the Netherlands in your efforts to improve the Rule of Law in Kosovo.
I sincerely hope that at next year’s conference when you meet again you will be able to devote a substantial amount of your time to discussing your successes of 2021 while only limited amount of challenges for the justice system remain for 2022.
Let me close by thanking you for your attention and wishing you a lot of strength, wisdom and success in your work.
++++++++++