After the success of the two HELP courses on anti-discrimination with lawyers and legal professionals, the joint EU/CoE actions “Promotion of Diversity and Equality in North Macedonia” and “HELP in the Western Balkans” in co-operation with the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors is implementing an additional HELP course on anti-discrimination. Around 60 candidates of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors are attending the online HELP course on anti-discrimination.

The new course will be focused on investigating and processing discrimination cases, which is essential for protection of human rights and equality and is one of the most important tools for combating discrimination. In 2020, North Macedonia adopted the Law on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination and in early 2021 the new Commission on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination was established. All of these steps are crucial in the fight against discrimination and violation of human rights. In this context building and strengthening the capacities of the institutions and professionals working in the field is a necessity. Thus, the HELP course on anti-discrimination, translated and adapted in Macedonian language in early 2021, is being implemented with the trainees of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors.

In February 2021, two HELP courses on anti-discrimination were implemented and 72 lawyers and legal professionals successfully finished the course. The success of the first two courses sparked the interest and need to launch a new course on anti-discrimination with the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors.

The implementation of the HELP online course on Anti-Discrimination is a joint activity of the Actions Promotion of Diversity and Equality in North Macedonia and HELP in the Western Balkans in the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2020".