Statement from the 133rd session of the Government of Montenegro

As highlighted during the discussion, the proposed amendments aim to align the terminology of this law with the current electoral legislation, specifically with the Law on the Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament, which replaced the previous name "State Election Commission" with "Central Election Commission." To align with the Law on Same-Sex Life Partnership, the Government adopted the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Personal Name, the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on the Central Population Register, the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship, the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Civil Status Registers, and the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Residence and Stay Registers. These legal changes enable individuals in same-sex life partnerships to exercise legally guaranteed rights, which is also one of the obligations from Chapter 24 of the EU accession negotiations. Additionally, particular attention was given to the need to improve the status of the Protector through the new legal text, creating prerequisites for upgrading the current status from B to A by the Subcommittee for Accreditation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions. The new legal solutions aim to eliminate inconsistencies in existing legislation with recommendations from international supervisory bodies, as well as to strengthen the administrative and financial independence and autonomy of the institution within the internal legal order, raising the level of responsibility of the recipients of recommendations in cases of human rights violations and when there is a risk of violations. This is the first comprehensive strategic document that, in accordance with the principle of rational planning, consolidates the Strategy, Action Plan, and air quality plans for all three air quality zones in Montenegro, ensuring a coordinated approach to planning and implementing measures at the national and local levels.