OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje

The Mission to Skopje's Media Development Unit (MDU) was created in August 2002 following a commitment in the Ohrid Framework Agreement to make assistance to the local media a priority of the international community. The agreement specifically invites the OSCE to support the public service broadcaster, Macedonian Radio and Television (MRT), and help to strengthen the non-majority language media.

Support for public broadcasting reform

The MDU coordinates international support and assistance to the public broadcaster MRT, which is in the process of transforming from a state-run entity into a public broadcaster in line with European standards.

Since the start of 2003, the MDU has been carrying out training in a variety of areas, either directly or through international partners. Some of the biggest projects aim to directly increase MRT's broadcasting capabilities and the quality of its programming. They include a project to establish a central newsroom, setting up an optical computer network and a separate network for broadcasting, establishing an online desk with a web portal offering information in 10 languages and setting up a digital archive which will preserve the audio-visual materials as a part of the national cultural heritage.

All of these projects combine technical donations with training sessions to strengthen the knowledge of the staff in using new technology and methods of working in everyday production and to help them understand MRT's new role as a public broadcaster.

At the same time, the MDU has also started a project on developing a separate parliamentary TV service, which covers the activities of the Parliament and the political parties.

Monitoring implementation of a new legal framework

The MDU closely monitored the process of drafting the new Broadcast Law and it now assists the national Broadcast Council in the implementation of this law. At the same time the Unit supports capacity-building in MRT's new managing bodies, the MRT Council and the Management Board, as they carry out their roles as outlined in the law.

In February 2006, together with the Vienna-based OSCE Representative of the Freedom of the Media, the MDU supported an international conference in Skopje on decriminalization of libel and defamation. Recently, the country removed prison sentences as a penalty for defamation from its criminal code, which represents a step forward in protection of freedom of the media and expression. The MDU and the Mission's Rule of Law Department continue to support the local group Coalition "All for Fair Trials" in monitoring libel and defamation related cases.

After working with local advocacy groups on awareness-raising and lobbying efforts on the issue of free access to information, which is fundamental to a free press, the MDU integrated this issue in its agenda for this year and is working to strengthen the capacity of the new National Commission. The Commission was formed in line with the Free Access to Public Information Law passed earlier this year, the implementation of which the MDU also monitors.

Developing an information society

Using the principles and guidelines issued by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media as a basis, the MDU began in 2005 to work with local non-governmental organizations and state authorities to open up public discussion on various issues surrounding the development of an information society.

The country is now creating strategies, laws and other policy frameworks for dealing with issues from ensuring safe transparent electronic transactions and fighting cyber-crime to Internet presentations that reflect the freedom of expression. The new media of the information society can provide opportunities for media freedom and access to information, making communication between the government and citizens easier and more transparent.

The MDU is assisting the government in preparing for a Law on Information Society and other important pieces of legislation related to this new and rapidly-developing field. It is also working with other state institutions on finding ways to use information society tools to implement new requirements for access to information.