The action “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in North Macedonia” is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” running from January 2023 until December 2026. The action is contributing to:

• sustainable capacity-building of key stakeholders (legal professionals, labour inspectors, healthcare professionals, media, police, social workers);  

• an adequate criminal-law response to trafficking in human beings; and

• sustainable services and access to compensation for trafficking victims.  

What is the goal(s) and objective(s) of the action?

The action will aim to:

• strengthen legislation, policy, and practice for effectively combating human trafficking, protecting the rights of victims, and responding to new challenges and trends.

• strengthen criminal justice response to trafficking in human beings through capacity building and research.

• enhance mechanisms and procedures for victims of human trafficking to access legal remedies and compensation.

Who benefits from the action?

• anti-trafficking institutions (Anti-trafficking Task Force, National Referral Mechanism)

• targeted professional groups (labour inspectors, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, police, healthcare professionals, social workers)

• civil society organisations with the mission to prevent and combat human trafficking

• victims of trafficking in human beings and the general society in North Macedonia

How does the action work?

The action builds on results of the previous Horizontal Facility actions, implemented in phases I and II of the programme. It facilitates transfer of knowledge among peers, from international and local experts to anti-trafficking professionals by delivering basic and specialised trainings and facilitating a dialogue between stakeholders from various institutions and civils society organisations.
The action provides expertise for drafting anti-trafficking policies and legislation and supports in-depth research on child trafficking and proactive investigation and prosecution of trafficking in human beings.

What do we expect to achieve?

The action will achieve

• a more sustainable approach in preventing and combating human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation and child trafficking,

• enhanced exercise and respect of the rights of trafficking victims, including the rights to legal aid, privacy and compensation,

• improved trial and sentence of traffickers of human beings by the justice institutions and legal professionals

• aware and informed communities and society at large in North Macedonia about trafficking victims’ risks and consequences from using trafficking victims’ services.

What is the budget of the action?

The total budget of the action is 950 000 Euros.

The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

Home - Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje (coe.int)

Soravia Center, Filip Vtori Makedonski br. 3, Skopje, 1000

 + 389 (2) 3100 321, e-mail: HF.THB.skopje@coe.int
Horizontal Facility website and e-mail address

About Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.