News
Call for grants to support activities on combating hate speech
Within the framework of the joint European Union/Council of Europe Horizontal Facility programme and its action on “Combating Hatred and Intolerance in North Macedonia”, the Council of Europe is launching a call for grants “Support to local self-governments and/or CSO-s for combating hate...
Building the next generation of free legal aid providers in North Macedonia
Legal clinics authorised to provide primary legal aid play a vital role in promoting access to justice and upholding human rights in line with European standards. In a continued effort to strengthen equal access to justice in North Macedonia, 16 law students participated in the second cascade...
International Roma Day 2025: Celebrating Culture and advancing Equality
On 8 April, the world comes together to celebrate International Roma Day, the anniversary of the First World Romani Congress, held in Chelsfield near London from 7–12 April 1971. This event was a turning point in the Roma political organisation and rights advocacy movement, as it called for Roma...
Improving penitentiary healthcare system – North Macedonia’s and Kosovo* authorities exchange best practices
A delegation from North Macedonia, consisting of medical personnel working in penitentiary institutions, senior officials of the Ministry of Health, as well as the Acting Head and key representatives of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES), visited Kosovo on 3-4 April 2025. The...
Budget planning for Free Legal Aid among the key topics discussed at the 16th meeting of the National Co-ordination Body for FLA
The 16th meeting of the National Co-ordination Body for the implementation of the Law on Free Legal Aid (NCB), gathered in Skopje to discuss the most important challenges regarding the functioning of the free legal aid system in North Macedonia. Supported by the European Union and the Council of...
Justice for victims of hate speech and hate crime: Lawyers and legal professionals in North Macedonia learn more on the European standards on combating hatred
Legal protection and support for victims of hate speech and hate crime is crucial in the efforts to successfully combat hate speech and hate crime. In this aspect, lawyers and legal professionals are important actors in the process of ensuring protection for victims of hate-speech and hate crime,...
Strengthening media regulation in North Macedonia: addressing SLAPPs and key challenges
Ensuring strong legal safeguards and effective media regulation is essential for protecting freedom of expression and countering threats to independent journalism. The Workshop on ‘Advancing Media Regulation in North Macedonia – Alignment with EU Norms’, brought together for 3 days media...
Women as equal partners in the AI revolution: a call for gender equality in the digital age
“The AI and digital revolution must also be a revolution for gender equality,” says Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset ahead of International Women’s Day. “Together, we can break down barriers to build a future where women and girls lead, innovate, and drive the digital world...
Preventing child trafficking of children without parental care - a priority for North Macedonia
In North Macedonia, statistics speak about 60 identified trafficking victims, most of them are children. The child trafficking victims generally originate from disadvantaged social groups. Children without parental care are at a higher risk of trafficking due to their life circumstances. In this...
North Macedonia’s authorities discussed the setting of a Standardized register of injuries in prisons
In this context, the medical personnel working in penitentiary institutions, senior officials of the Ministry of Health, and the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES) of North Macedonia gathered in a roundtable in Skopje to review the prepared analysis, supported by the EU and Council...
Advancing Free Access to Public Information in North Macedonia in line with the Tromsø Convention
Ensuring free access to public information is fundamental to upholding freedom of expression and fostering democratic governance. In North Macedonia, this principle is gaining renewed attention following the country’s ratification of the Tromsø Convention in 2024. To reinforce these efforts, a...
EU and Council of Europe reaffirms commitment to assist local actors in North Macedonia to advance protection of media freedom and journalists
The third Steering Committee meeting under the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in North Macedonia” (PRO-FREX) took place in Skopje, reaffirming the commitment to safeguarding freedom of expression and media freedom in North...
Deadline: 13 February 2024 16:00 CET
Call for Tenders: Feasibility Study on Housing Conditions in Roma Settlements in North Macedonia
The Council of Europe is implementing the Roma Integration III Joint Programme of the European Union and Council of Europe, aiming to strengthen government capacities in the Western Balkans and Türkiye to address challenges faced by Roma communities. The initiative focuses on public policy...
Empowering future legal experts in North Macedonia on the provision of free legal aid
Legal clinics and civil society organisations authorised to provide primary legal aid play a pivotal role in ensuring access to justice and effectively safeguarding human rights in accordance with European standards. In the efforts to advance access to equal justice in North Macedonia, around 20...
Working with lawyers in North Macedonia to advance the Free Legal Aid
Lawyers play a pivotal role in ensuring equal access to justice and protection of fundamental human rights, especially when providing free legal aid to those in need. To strengthen this mission, two cascade training sessions were held on 5 and 6 December 2024, focused on enhancing the skills of...
International Human Rights Day: Visual art exhibition and panel discussion on equal access to justice held in Skopje
To mark International Human Rights Day, the Council of Europe Programme Office, with support from the European Union, organised an event to highlight the importance of equal access to justice and its positive impact on the people of North Macedonia. The event also featured the announcement of the...
Prison governors in North Macedonia enhance management skills and knowledge of the European Prison Rules
Prison governors managing all the 12 penitentiary facilities in North Macedonia strengthened their managerial skills and knowledge of the European Prison Rules, during the 2-days capacity-building session during 10-11 December 2024 in Gevgelija. The two-day session focused on key prison...
Strengthening Media’s Role in Tackling Gender-Based Violence in North Macedonia
In a dedicated effort to enhance the quality and sensitivity of reporting on gender-based violence, professionals from local media and other interested parties in North Macedonia were part of a workshop organised with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, in co-operation...
Key achievements and future interventions to advance equality in the focus of the Fourth Steering Committee meeting of the anti-discrimination action in North Macedonia
Achievements and future activities on anti-discrimination and combating hate speech were in the focus of the Fourth Steering Committee meeting of the action “Combating hatred and intolerance in North Macedonia“ . The meeting gathered beneficiaries, partners and stakeholders to discuss and...
Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje embraces the “16 Days of Activism” global movement to end violence against women
The annual international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” kicks off every 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It aims to ensure global action to increase awareness, galvanise...
