The main goal of anti-discrimination actions is to empower authorities, civil society organisations and people of the Western Balkans to combat all forms of discrimination, hate speech, hate crimes and racism. In this process, the programme provides expertise and capacity building and it raises awareness about dangers of discrimination and of the need to have the rights of everybody equally protected but paying special attention to vulnerable groups.

With the support of the programme, the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination of North Macedonia presented its Annual Report in Skopje. The report highlighted a record-breaking of 523 cases submitted to the Commission, the highest in its history.

In Serbia, the conference, marking the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, was organised in co-operation with the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality. The conference emphasised that hate speech, harassment and humiliating behaviour, as well as violent communication explicitly or implicitly threaten the rights of others and often incite real violence. The danger lies in the ability of hate speech to degrade, denigrate, and dehumanise individuals and groups, as well as to create an environment of exclusion, fear, and division.

In continuation of the programme’s efforts to enhance cross-regional collaboration in combating racism in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries, a peer-to-peer exchange was organised in North Macedonia. It brought together law enforcement officers and representatives from civil society organisations in Armenia, Georgia, North Macedonia, and Serbia, aiming to improve their co-operation in safeguarding the most vulnerable groups experiencing racism and discrimination in each of the above-mentioned countries.

The HELP course on Hate Crimes, specifically tailored for judges, prosecutors, and police officers in Albania, was launched in June. This is a significant step towards enhancing the capacity of legal professionals in Albania in addressing and combating hate crimes effectively. The course will last for six weeks, open to the enrolment of as many law enforcement officers, judges, and prosecutors as possible.