The Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination of North Macedonia presented its Annual Report in a public event organised with the support of the EU and Council of Europe. The report highlighted a record-breaking 523 cases submitted to the Commission, the highest in its history.

During the event, Igor Jadrovski, President of the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination pointed out that “citizens mostly filled complaints and asked for protection against discrimination in the field of public information and media, in work and labour relations, as well as in the field of education and access to goods and services.”

Oleg Soldatov, Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje also addressed the participants, noting that: “The EU and Council of Europe through the Horizontal Facility Programme since 2019 are supporting North Macedonia’s institutions to comply to the European standards and the EU acquis in respect to combating discrimination and hate speech and will continue to be a strong partner to the institutions and the civil society in the process of continuing the reforms and supporting equality, human rights and combating discrimination, in line with the European standards.”

The Report shows that, the majority of the cases were complaints for protection against discrimination submitted by citizens, civil society organisations and other legal entities, as well as 3 ex-officio proceedings. The Commission has issued 59 decisions in which they determined discrimination with key recommendations for elimination of discrimination. Discrimination was often encountered in the area of labour and labour relations, public informing and the media, and there were cases of discrimination in areas of access to goods and services, education, sport, justice and administration, etc.

This activity was organised in the framework of the action on “Combating hatred and intolerance in North Macedonia” part of the European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye”, joint programme. It is supporting key beneficiaries and local actors in their reforms to develop harmonised institutional approach to tackle discrimination and hate speech.