2016-2020 NATIONAL EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION STRATEGY
In 2012, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia adopted the first National Equality and Non-Discrimination Strategy covering the 2012-2015 period. With a view to assessing the progress made, i.e. taking stock of the Strategy implementation and establishing whether the desired results were reached, in cooperation with the OSCE Mission in Skopje, in 2015, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy made an Evaluation of the Strategy, which produced guidelines and provided the basis for the new National Strategy for the 2016-2020 period.
The 2016-2020 National Equality and Non-Discrimination Strategy is a strategic document of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, which defines the goals, measures, indicators and key policy makers in designing the policy for promotion of rights and equal opportunities in various areas of social life, defining as well responsible implementing agencies and all stakeholders in attaining equality and nondiscrimination in the Republic of Macedonia.
Different from the previous Strategy, this Strategy takes into account all grounds of discrimination in line with the Law on the Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination (Article 3) and conceptually it applies to discrimination in all areas, grouped as follows: employment and labour relations; education, science, sports and culture; social security (social protection, pension and disability insurance and health care); justice and administration; and access to goods and services, in following with recommendations given by UN human rights mechanisms relating to the Republic of Macedonia. 5 In addition, this document contributes that the country fulfil its internationally assumed obligations and underlines the readiness of the Republic of Macedonia to harmonize all considerations, activities and resources under a coherent framework and unified approach aimed at sustainable development, human rights promotion and ensuring equal opportunities.
The purpose of this document is to provide for continual development in the implementation of these rights without discrimination on any grounds. Specific short and mid-term tasks and activities for the advancement of the goals and of the implementation of measures will be defined under one-year operative programs, which will set the priorities, the manner of implementation, the timeframe, the implementing agencies, the envisaged budget, expected results, and qualitative and quantitative success indictors.