Publications

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.

This Assessment is a baseline document for planning future steps in the complex digitalization process of the courts in North Macedonia. The courts' digitalization, intersectoral connectivity and interoperability of the courts with other judicial institutions and state organs is in line with judicial efficiency and transparency improvement, emphasizing quick, cost effective and qualitative access to justice. The Assessment is consisted of four main chapters: International standards and comparative experiences- focusing on the advantages and challenges in usage of electronic platforms and conducting on-line or hybrid hearings; Analysis of the current situation in utilization of ICT tools in all courts in North Macedonia and existence of adequate human and technical resources; Current national legislation and necessary legislative amendments to enable utilization of new ICT tools in court operations and protect the rights of the participants in court procedures; and Recommendations for future steps in regards to court digitalization.

The Manual, prepared by the State Election Commission (SEC) of the Republic of North Macedonia 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 is also designed to assist SEC and youth organizations countrywide in their training programmes. Not available in English.

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.

The Analysis explores the multidimensional approach and complexity of the introduced measures during the pandemic on gender and diversity in North Macedonia. The first chapter provides an overview of the gender analysis of measures adopted by the Government from human rights perspective, while the second chapter focuses on the participation of women and men in the labor market, violence against women, participation of women and men in decision-making in the COVID-19 response, etc. The third chapter presents and analyses the gender gaps created by COVID-19 response, while the final chapter includes proposals for measures to be taken in the post-COVID-19 period. The Analysis was developed by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in partnership with the Centre for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) and the CSOs Radar, Polio Plus, Rural Coalition, and the National Network to End Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

The Anti-corruption Law textbook is the first University textbook for law students interested to attend the related subject course at the Skopje Faculty of Law. It is a comprehensive learning tool that will enable Law students to gain knowledge and skills related to legal and institutional anti-corruption aspects. The textbook reflects on the concept and typology of corruption; concept, subject and sources of anti-corruption law; anti-corruption institutional framework, and the need for reform of the anti-corruption system in Republic of North Macedonia, including practical examples, statistical analyzes and comparative experiences. Not available in English.

The Handbook was developed by the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors and supported by the Mission. The publication aims at assisting the candidates for judges and public prosecutors to correctly use Macedonian language in drafting legal acts and other documents within their initial training program. The Handbook was also designed to help all judges and public prosecutors and legal practitioners in their everyday work. Not available in English.

This paper aims at providing strategic directions to policy makers on how to incorporate the specifics of the Local Self-Government Units (LSGU) within the Public Administration Reform (PAR) Strategy 2018-2022 in a comprehensive and meaningful way. It also offers a detailed overview of each chapter of the Strategy. In parallel, the paper portrays main findings from the survey with LSGUs and the conclusions of the regional roundtables and the workshop.

The publication includes a selection of current legal issues in the area of criminal procedure law, including confirmed, abolished or altered decisions of the Basic Criminal Court Skopje, enacted between 2013 and 2019, i.e. from the moment when the 2010 Law on Criminal Procedure started to be implemented. This publication aims at tackling certain legal issues that are current in the everyday work of Criminal Court judges by using a wider approach that includes the legal stand of the second instance court, and the ECtHR jurisprudence. Not available in English.