BELGRADE – Ambassador Michael D. Kirby, President of the Supreme Court of Cassation Chief Justice Dragomir Milojević, and Minister of Justice Nikola Selaković took part in a ceremony to mark the end of the USAID Separation of Powers Program (SPP) worth USD 12 million. The USAID SPP lasted six years and worked closely with the High Court Council, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Supreme Court of Cassation, and partner courts on improving court and case efficiency, building financial independence, and increasing transparency.

Since 2009, the USAID SPP in Serbia has worked successfully with courts around the country to improve court efficiency and increase transparency in a variety of ways.  At the national level, the USAID SPP worked with the National Assembly, the High Court Council, and the Supreme Court of Cassation to increase financial independence and improve budgeting and financial management.  The USAID SPP has also developed national policies for court efficiency and the harmonization of jurisprudence and launched comprehensive websites for each institution.