Index that measures fundamental rights has fallen in 81% of countries (illustration), Photo: Shutterstock
24.10.2024. 20:25h
Montenegro improved its rule of law score and took 56th place out of 142 countries in the World Justice Project (WJP) Index.
Compared to the index for 2023, Montenegro advanced by one position.
The index for the year 2024 shows that the rule of law has fallen globally for the seventh year in a row, and Montenegro is among the few countries that have recorded an improvement.
“Montenegro improved its result and took 2nd place out of 15 countries in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia”, according to the report of this international organization, which, as written on its website, works to create knowledge, raise awareness and stimulate actions to advance the rule of law around the world.
The WJP index has been published since 2008. Each edition of the Rule of Law Index relies on surveys of 214.000 households and professionals to measure how the general public around the world experiences and perceives the rule of law in practical, everyday situations. Performance is assessed using 44 indicators across eight categories – Limits on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Enforcement of Regulations, Civil Justice and Criminal Justice.
“Over the past year, the rule of law has declined in 57 percent of the surveyed countries. However, Montenegro is among a small number of countries that recorded an improvement in the WJP index this year. The overall result of Montenegro in the rule of law increased by less than one percent in this year’s Index,” the report states.
The total index for Montenegro for this year is 0,57. The index for 2023 was 0,56.
In categories, Montenegro is ranked worst in Enforcement of regulations, where it ranks 83rd in the world, with an index of 0,47.
In the category Limits of government powers, Montenegro is in 63rd place with an index of 0,55, and in the category Absence of corruption in 62nd place with an index of 0,49
“Over the past seven years, index scores for limitations on government powers have fallen in 77% of countries. The index shows that around the world, legislatures, the judiciary and civil society, including the media, have lost the ability to rein in executive power. “Montenegro is not among the 59% of countries where restrictions on government powers have fallen,” the report states.
It is also added that this year 59% of countries recorded an improvement in the index for the absence of corruption, including Montenegro.
In the Open Government category, Montenegro is in 58th place (index 0,55), and fundamental rights in 40th position (index 0,67).
The report found that between 2016 and 2024, the index measuring fundamental rights fell in 81% of countries.
“Although these and other authoritarian trends slowed down a bit last year, they have expanded in 2024. “Montenegro is not among the 63% of countries where basic rights have fallen in the past year”, it was concluded.
In the category Law and Security, Montenegro is in 37th place (index 0,82), Civil Justice is in 66th place (0,53), and Criminal Justice is in 60th place (index 0,48).
Of the former Yugoslav republics, when it comes to the overall index, the best ranked is Slovenia, which ranks 27th, followed by Croatia at 45th.
Kosovo (58th place), North Macedonia (67), Bosnia and Herzegovina (71) and Serbia (94) have a weaker index than Montenegro.
Globally, the top-ranked country in the 2024 WJP Index is Denmark, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden and Germany. The country with the worst score is Venezuela, followed by Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti and Myanmar.
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