Publications

The Guidebook on Reasonable Accommodation, developed by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, is a systematized and analytical review of the legal institute of reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. The publication is based on consideration of existing definitions and legal interpretation set forth in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as in the existent domestic law, international and national case law of courts and various human rights treaty bodies, but also in academic and grey literature. Types of reasonable accommodation addressing particularly the needs of women and girls with disabilities were especially elaborated. Not available in English.

The survey ‘Barometer of Equal Opportunities’, developed by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, explores the perceptions, attitudes, knowledge and awareness of discrimination and inequality of the public at large. It also makes a comparative analysis of results of the three surveys conducted in 2009, 2013 and 2018, and provides an insight into the direction and intensity of changes of perceptions, attitudes, knowledge and awareness of discrimination and inequality in the country in the period from 2009 to 2018. The report examines replies of men and women regarding discrimination on seven grounds- gender, ethnicity, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation and political affiliation.

The bulletin is a summary of information obtained from the first instance courts in relation to discrimination cases, and from the annual reports of the Anti-discrimination Commission, and the Ombudsman Institution from 2018. It provides data on cases of discrimination and activities of the state institutions and civil society organizations in the field of prevention and protection against discrimination, and it also provides the institutions with recommendations for improvement of the current situation. Not available in English.

This report provides the results from a survey of hate crime victimization carried out in North Macedonia in June and July 2018. The survey, first of this kind carried in the country, presents a more comprehensive account of hate crime victimization in North Macedonia and its impact that had been available to date, as well as identifies the extent of underreporting of hate incidents by surveying a range of different communities of majority and minority social identity on the basis of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and political beliefs. The report aims at offering evidence as to the need to develop effective measures that respond to and combat the problem, guide targeted policy and strategy by national and local authorities, and support civil society organizations in their advocacy work.

The bulletin is a summary of information obtained from the first instance courts in relation to discrimination cases, and from the annual reports of the Anti-discrimination Commission, and the Ombudsman Institution from 2017. It provides data on cases of discrimination and activities of the state institutions and civil society organizations in the field of prevention and protection against discrimination, and it also provides the institutions with recommendations for improvement of the current situation. Not available in English.

This publication reflects on civil and political rights, including the right to life and prohibition of torture, the right to fair trial, the right to equality and prohibition of discrimination, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to freedom of expression, and the right to freedom of assembly and association. The aim of the publication is to provide assistance to legal practitioners, the judiciary and academia regarding the implementation of those human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to provide them with practical tools to identify human rights violations. The publication is not available in English.

This publication examines the effectiveness of the national programs and measures for the employment of persons with disabilities. It does so through a step-by-step analysis of the legal, policy, institutional and infrastructural framework, focusing on the outcomes, effects and results of each, as well as on their joint overall impact. The conclusions and recommendations, in line with the obtained data, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Council Directive 2000/78/EC for Equal Treatment in Employment and Occupation, provide an outline for undertaking future steps in order to increase the overall inclusion of persons with disabilities in the open labour market. The publication is not available in English.

The publication gives an overview of both domestic and European legislation on the admissibility and use of actio popularis mechanism, the practice of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union as well as the practice of the region. This publication also provides insight on the specific methodology for use of actio popularis, in order to provide proper guidance for citizen associations in terms of the cases and ways they should use this mechanism.

This comparative study complements the efforts of the OSCE Mission to Skopje to support the transition in practicing the new adversarial model of criminal procedure in the country, largely based upon similar legislative transitions in countries across Europe. It is comprised of inputs from seven different researches on the implementation of the in dubio pro reo principle and the standard beyond reasonable doubt in various judicial systems both historically and in present day.

This publication includes case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in relation to hate crimes and hate speech cases. This collection analyzes cases when it comes to speech that incited hatred with particular reference to the case-law of some of the extreme forms of speech that were problematized before the ECtHR. The purpose of this collection is through brief comments on the most interesting judgments and decisions on hate speech and hate crimes, to clarify the standards that the Court has set before the States Parties to the Convention. Not available in English.