From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Republic of Macedonia is a
signatory to the European Convention on
Human Rights and the U.N. Geneva Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees and Convention
against Torture, and the Macedonian Constitution guarantees
basic human rights to all Macedonian citizens.
There do however continue to be problems with human rights.
According to human rights organisations, in 2003 there were suspected extrajudicial
executions, threats and intimidation against human rights activists
and opposition journalists and allegations of torture by the police.[1][2]
The country also has issues with the human rights of ethnic minorities, such as Albanians, Bulgarians, Roma, Turks, Aromanians, Greeks and Vlachs.
Although Albanians have recently been allowed to study in
Albanian, before graduating from university they are required to
pass a test of their comprehension and use of the Macedonian
language.[3]
HRW and
Helsinki Watch
According to Human Rights Watch, many former Yugoslav
citizens remain "effectively stateless"[3]
as a result of a citizenship law drafted after Macedonia's
secession from the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
Conflict between ethnic Albanian rebels and the Macedonian
government has resulted in serious violations of human rights on both
sides.[2]
According to the International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, the following human
rights abuses have been reported:[4]
- Police abuse of suspects, particularly during initial arrest
and detention
- Police harassment of ethnic minorities, particularly Roma
- Impunity and corruption in the police force
- Political pressure on the judiciary
- Societal violence and discrimination against women, children
and ethnic minorities, particularly Roma
- Trafficking in women and girls for sexual exploitation
- Government interference with union activity
International rankings
Ombudsman's
Report
According to the Ombudsman’s Annual Report for
2005
- The Public administration continues to show elements of
bureaucratic behavior, inefficiency, inaction and non-interest
about the needs of the citizen, as well as lack of awareness about
their rights. Because of that the citizen fulfill their rights with
difficulties, untimely and through long administrative procedures
faced with misuses of official authorization, incompetent and
careless behavior with disrespect of the human dignity and the
legal regulative and its inappropriate implementation.
- The court proceedings since many years are slow and inefficient
that is partially a result of subjective weaknesses because of
incompetent and careless behavior, lack of sufficient training of
the court and administrative personnel, but as well from objective
condition and possibilities in which the court system is
functioning. Because of this the clients cannot fulfill their right
of trial in a reasonable deadline.
- In the police proceedings it was determined violation of human
rights with excessive use of means of coercion and misuse of other
police authorization by police officials.
- The Sector for internal control and professional standards
shows unprofessional attitude in fulfillment of the function
internal control mechanism by covering the negative condition
during the police procedure, which obstructs the work of the
Ombudsman.
- The Penitentionary system is overburdened and is functioning
with numerous problems because of the bad material condition,
disorganized security situation, unprofessional management of the
houses of correction and borstal institutions and can not secure
dignified stay of the convicted persons which places that group of
population in the margins of the society.
- Denationalization – return of the property to the former owners
is stopped because of the selective approach of the Commission for
solving in the administrative procedure at a second instance upon
the cases in the field of denationalization and it brings to a
question mark all the process.
- The administrative acts for demolishing of the illegal
constructions are not executed, whereas at the small percent of
execution that is done selectively.
- There is a lack of conscious and awareness for protecting the
environment and the measures for its protection are not
undertaken.
- There are gaps and illegal proceedings during the procedures
for fulfillment of the right of working relation, especially while
undertaking employees from state level to local level.
- The Commission for accommodation issue within the Government of
Republic of Macedonia acts timely upon the requests of the
citizen.
- The level of the social security is not in a satisfactory level
and is facing difficulties, inconsistency and untimely in
fulfillment of the rights from the social security, pension and
disability insurance and the health insurance, as well as untimely,
partiality and bribery proceeding of the commission for evaluating
the working abilities.
- There are inadequate condition and unequal opportunities for
dignified fulfillment of the rights for every child in the Republic
of Macedonia, but the number of cases of violence towards children
is increased.
- The law for higher education is inappropriately implemented
during the obligation or realize from the study costs, whereas the
student standard is unsatisfactory.
- The level of communication between the service providers and
citizen – users is unprofessional, unsatisfactory, and there is a
lack of appropriate regulative that would have secured appropriate
protection and control over the monopoly on the market.
- The absence of special law for protection from discrimination
does not give any opportunity to determine appearances of
discrimination and to provide appropriate protection to victims of
discrimination.
- Inconsistent implementation of the Principe of appropriate and
equal representation of members of the communities.
- The cooperation with the Ombudsman in 2005 was at a higher
level than the previous years, but there were cases of
non-cooperation and non-implementation of referred recommendation
that was an obstacle in the work. The non-cooperation was
especially expressed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs – Sector
for Internal Control and Professional standards because not
delivering the information and data upon complaints that were
referring to violation of the rights by exceeding the official
authorization and the exceeded use of force.
- The Commission for solving the administrative proceedings in a
second instance in the area of denationalization did not acted upon
the recommendation of the Ombudsman; completely stopped the process
of denationalization, fulfillment of the rights on this basis
obstructed the work of the Ombudsman.
- Incorrect relation and non-cooperation was noticed as well in
the second instance governmental commission that decides upon cases
in the field of property - legal issues and allocation of working
land, measuring, cadastre and including rights of real estate, from
transport and communication, environment until Ministry of
Education and science and Ministry of labor and social policy,
Commission for denationalization within the ministry of Finance,
sector for arranging and documenting the construction land within
Ministry of transport and communication and the Sector for
measuring and cadastre of the State bureau for geodetic
matters.5
See also
Notes
- ^
Amnesty International -
Summary - Macedonia
- ^ a
b
Human Rights Watch - Campaigns
- Conflict in Macedonia
- ^ a
b
Human Rights Watch -
Macedonia
- ^ Country Reports on Human
Rights Practices - 2005 (MHC)
- ^
"Worldwide Quality of Life -
2005". The Economist. www.economist.com. 2005. http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf. Retrieved
2007-04-10.
Wikis
Map
Search