To inform the citizens of North Macedonia on the free legal aid opportunities and ensure better use and access to these services, awareness-raising events will be organised in the Municipality of Vinica - Municipality of Kocani - Municipality of Stip - Municipality of Shuto Orizari - Municipality of Dojran - Municipality of Bitola - Municipality of Prilep -  Municipality of Kumanovo - Municipality of Tetovo - in Municipality of Delcevo - Municipality of Ohrid - Municipality of Struga

This activity is part of a series of awareness-raising activities meant to promote the use of free legal aid in North Macedonia. They will reach out to various local communities to provide them with detailed information on where and how they can find free legal aid, and which entities provide it. During the event the participants will have the opportunity to ask questions to experts in the field and receive answers, and will receive user-friendly information materials on the specific topics where free legal aid can be requested and provided, including domestic violence, property issues, discrimination and social protection, etc.

The informational activities organised in 12 municipalities in North Macedonia from 13 July to 20 August, are expected to enhance the knowledge about free legal aid among residents of local communities, but also among legal professionals, and thus support broader accessibility and use of these legal services, with a special focus on vulnerable groups such as on women and children.

The FLA campaign, implemented as of 2021 in North Macedonia, aims at promoting these services as an available and functional mechanism offering efficient legal protection to the citizens and, most importantly, ensuring equal access to legal aid for those people who would not be able to afford it otherwise.

The event is organised in the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe joint action “Supporting enhanced access to higher quality Free Legal Aid services in North Macedonia”, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Justice of North Macedonia and other the members of the National Co-ordination Body for Free Legal Aid: the Ministry’s regional offices, civil society organizations and legal clinics authorized to provide free legal aid (FLA). It is part of the CoE-EU  programme “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey 2019 - 2022”, a co-operation initiative to assist Beneficiaries in the Western Balkans and Turkey to comply with the European standards.