Publications

As with other civil and political rights, the freedom of expression of service personnel is sometimes restricted in an effort to ensure the political neutrality of the armed forces. In certain situations, including operational deployments, special restrictions will be necessary to maintain the security of armed forces personnel.

As citizens in uniform, armed forces personnel enjoy the same fundamental rights as other citizens, including civil and political rights. However, many states impose restrictions on the enjoyment of these rights for service personnel, for example because of the need for discipline and political neutrality within the armed forces. The degree to which they do so varies among OSCE participating States.

Human rights are explicitly articulated in international standards that carry very real and meaningful implications for every individual. They include the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the bedrock of international human rights law – the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).

National laws provide democratic control of the armed forces, and include constitutional provisions, parliamentary oversight and legislation specifying the role of the military and the rights of its personnel.

Women remain significantly underrepresented in the armed forces across the OSCE region. Women’s participation in the military goes beyond the question of representation, and encompasses recruitment, promotion and retention, working conditions, respect for family life, and issues of discrimination and sexual violence. Above all, women’s participation in the armed forces is about full respect for their human rights while appreciating their necessary contribution to the operational demands of a modern-day military.

The compendium is aimed at all those working to promote, protect and ensure effective implementation of the human rights of armed forces members, including military personnel, policymakers, judges, ombuds institutions, professional military associations and non-governmental organizations.

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 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 treatise is aimed to highlight the core issues of the crimes against a freedom of the person. It is a useful reference for legal academia, law practitioners and students, experts in criminal law, philosophy of law and a human rights protection, as well as for the general audience, interested in

The publication on implementation of environmental law contains case studies and is available in Serbian language only.