Publications

This Handbook is a practical tool for regulatory and policy impact assessment at central and local governance and is intended to facilitate the process of incorporating the gender perspective in decision-making. The Handbook provides basic information and practical guidelines on how to assess the impact of gender equality on policies and adopted decisions and regulations. The methodology and the practical tools presented in this Handbook can be applied to other vulnerable groups in society, such as: people with disability, minority groups, etc.

The execution of sanctions is the final piece that closes the entire process of adjudication in criminal procedure. The lack of proper sanctions enforcement through a clear, understandable and fair procedure, the incomplete legal framework, as well as the inconsistent practice of the courts at the four appellate regions in North Macedonia, contributes to the negative public perception, especially in “high profile” cases. The Mission, in cooperation with the national Judges’ Association and the Skopje Basic Criminal Court, developed an Analysis of the practical problems of the procedure for execution of sanctions, addressing the legislative gaps and providing concrete legislative solutions. The Analysis includes diverse court practices from the appellate regions and recommends practical approaches to overcome certain challenges. Not available in English.

During the implementation of the current LCP, during trial monitoring activities and over discussion with national legal practitioners, it became obvious that one of the weaknesses among legal practitioners is the adequate use of expert opinions, expert witnesses and technical advisors as a tool for representing facts as evidence in Court, and their effective, efficient and financially justified conduct in accordance with the rules and principles of the national criminal procedure. The Law on Expertise, as lex specialis needs to be understood in the context of the LCP and the purpose of the expert witnesses during a criminal case trial. Therefore, the OSCE Mission to Skopje supported the drafting of this Guidebook for legal practitioners including positive and negative examples from the national court practice, ECtHR jurisprudence and additional elaborations of the novelties in the Law on Expertise.

In this brochure, the Handbook for voters "What Is Local Government and How It Is Elected" has been transformed into Easy-to-Read Format, in order to make it accessible to the people with learning disabilities and a wider audience. The Brochure, prepared by the State Election Commission (SEC) of the Republic of North Macedonia and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, aims to increase voters’ knowledge on local self-government, bodies that are elected at local elections and specifics about the local elections. The handbook provides brief and simple information on the role and competencies of mayors and municipal councils in North Macedonia, the election process. Not available in English.

The Handbook, prepared by the State Election Commission (SEC) of the Republic of North Macedonia and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, aims to increase voters’ knowledge on local self-government, bodies that are elected at local elections and specifics about the local elections. The Handbook provides brief and simple information on the role and competencies of mayors and municipal councils, the right to be elected, the electoral models used for election of a mayor and municipal council, election campaign, and financing local elections. Additionally, it offers an overview of the basic principles of democratic governance and opportunities for citizens’ participation in a decision-making process at local level after the elections. Not available in English.

The Handbook, prepared by the State Election Commission (SEC) of the Republic of North Macedonia and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, aims to increase voters’ knowledge on local self-government, bodies that are elected at local elections and specifics about the local elections. The handbook provides brief and simple information on the role and competencies of mayors and municipal councils in North Macedonia, the right to be elected, the electoral models used for election of a mayor and municipal council, election campaign, and financing local elections. Additionally, it gives an overview of the basic principles of democratic governance and opportunities for citizens’ participation in a decision-making process at local level after the elections. Not available in English.

The Informative Brochure for Young Voters presents the content of Manual for Young Voters, prepared by the State Election Commission (SEC) of the Republic of North Macedonia and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in an easy-to-read format. It aims to present the information related to the political and electoral participation of youth in the country, why elections and voting are important for young women and men, the significance of inclusive elections and instructions for the voting process in format accessible to the people with learning disabilities. Not available in English.

The Manual, prepared by the State Election Commission (SEC) and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, aims to encourage political and electoral participation of youth in the country. It explains the models and bodies for youth political participation; why elections and voting are important for young women and men and the significance of inclusive elections. The publication also provides step-by-step instructions for the voting process. The Manual was initially published in 2020. This is second edition amended in accordance with the most recent changes of the Electoral Code. Not available in English.

The Manual for Local Youth Councils, prepared in close partnership with the Agency for Youth and Sport, is a practical and valuable tool for both municipal officials and young people regarding their engagement in the Local Youth Councils. It aims to encourage local youth participation in these bodies in compliance with the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies. The Manual contains practical steps how to establish Local Youth Council, roles and responsibilities for both municipal officials and youth council members and the handover process between the outgoing and incoming leadership. It was prepared in Macedonian language and translated into English, Albanian, Turkish, Serbian and Romani languages.

The paper, prepared by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, is a first attempt to discuss linkages between corruption and gender inequality, relating it to the situation in North Macedonia. The paper refers to the national context and international/ OSCE commitments in the area of democratic governance and corruption prevention, gender-specific forms of corruption, correlation between women representation in the political life and levels of corruption. This discussion paper represents a pioneering step to open a debate, elevating this subject to a higher level of attention with policymakers, civil society, and the general public towards recognition, documentation, and institutionalization of gendered forms of corruption in the national legislation and, eventually, contribute to reducing the impact of corruption on women.