To mark the European Day of Justice and the 30th anniversary since North Macedonia joined the Council of Europe, the Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje with the support from the European Union, organised a public event to highlight the importance of equal access to justice for all, by promoting human rights and equality, and combating hatred and intolerance. The event also featured the announcement of the winners of the visual art competition “Let’s Bring Justice Closer to the Citizens!” which involved children and youth from North Macedonia, to reflect on the importance of equal access to justice for all, without discrimination. The event brought together public officials, key beneficiaries, partners and citizens.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Bjørn Berge, opened the event with a video message underlining the co-operation between the Council of Europe and North Macedonia for three decades, consistently proving the authorities’ commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. “I thank and congratulate once more the governments of the country since independence, and the civil society groups too, which undertake crucial programmes to protect human rights and democracy.”, concluded Berge.
The Deputy Minister of Justice, Alen Dereban, emphasised that the access to justice is the foundation upon every true democracy is built upon. It is a guarantee that no citizen is left alone when facing injustice, that justice is real and that the institutions really serve their citizens. “At the Ministry of Justice, we have been working continuously on three key priorities: improve the legislation and increase legal protection; provide free legal aid to those who need it the most and strengthen the capacities of the judiciary, because strong institutions equal strong country. Let us continue together to build a system in which the citizens know that the country stands beside them; their rights are inviolable, and that hatred and discrimination have no place in our society”, said Dereban.
Ben Nupnau, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia, noted that on the occasion of the European Day of Justice, we take stock of North Macedonia’s commitment to human rights, democracy and rule of law. “Much progress has been made in North Macedonia in this field, but bringing justice closer to citizens is a continuous process of improving. The EU and Council of Europe will continue to support further improvements and help the authorities in ensuring equal access to justice for all citizens.”
Gjoko Velkovski, Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Demography and Youth, emphasised that the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth strives to provide a fair and accessible system that protects the rights of all citizens, especially the most vulnerable. “By promoting equality, dignity and active participation of citizens, the Ministry builds inclusive policies that create a stronger and more just society,” he said.
Ambassador Kire Ilioski, Director for multilateral relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, emphasised that today's event dedicated to marking the European Day of Justice is organised precisely in the month when we celebrate a significant anniversary – 30 years of membership in the Council of Europe. "In these three decades of maturation of Macedonian democracy, great effort has been invested in building strong partnerships, aimed at advancing European standards in the area of the rule of law and human rights, which are of great importance for all citizens in North Macedonia, as well as for the progress on the path towards full EU integration."
Ljubomir Mihajlovski, President of the Bar Association, emphasised the key role of lawyers in providing free legal aid and their responsibility to help citizens to have access to justice. He also emphasized the importance of non-discrimination, equality, advocacy for vulnerable groups of citizens and justice for all as the key to an equal society.
Participants at the event had the opportunity to visit the exhibition of the selected drawings and heart excerpts from the awarded essays from the visual art competition “Let’s Bring Justice Closer to the Citizens!”. Final day for admission was 25th October marking the European Day of Justice and the competition aimed to engage young people in advocating for equal access to justice for all, promotion of human rights, equality and diversity and combating hatred and intolerance.
After the panel discussion, the winners of the drawing and essay competition were announced.
Drawings
Category 1 (6-12 years
- Lili Mosterman – 1st place (winner)
- Nisa Islami – 2nd place
- Sofija Donevska – 3rd place
- Zehra Abazi – 3rd place
- Iva Malincheska - 3rd place
Category 2 (13-18 years)
- Ivan Mladenov – 1st place (winner)
- Emilija Pejovska – 2nd place
- Sibela Shakir – 2nd place
- Nela Apostolovska – 3rd place
Essays
Category 1 (13-18 years)
- Vasja Mickovski – 1st place (winner)
- Bisera Manasijevikj – 2nd place
- Jana Kitanovska – 3rd place
Category 2 (20-28 years) - essays
- Borjan Davkovski – 1st place (winner)
- Ivana Hristova – 2nd place
The event was organised in the framework of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, a co-operation initiative to assist beneficiaries in the Western Balkans and Türkiye to comply with the European standards.
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