MACEDONIA: INPUT FOR PRESIDENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000748

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SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: INPUT FOR PRESIDENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS
ROUNDTABLE AT UNGA

REF: STATE 125456

POST'S ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS


1. (U) USG efforts in Macedonia to protect and promote human
rights focus on strengthening rule of law, decreasing
political influence on and corruption in the security forces
and judiciary, and capacity building to strengthen democratic
institutions and civil society.


2. (U) Embassy officials, including the Ambassador and other
senior staff, regularly meet with the Ombudsman and NGOs
working to protect and promote human rights and democracy.
The Office of the Ombudsman has a mandate to protect
citizens' rights, fight discrimination, and improve equitable
representation for all ethnic communities. The Office of the
Ombudsman, with strong U.S. and EU support, has been steadily
increasing its capacity to protect citizen's rights.
Numerous NGOs operating in Macedonia work to protect and
promote human rights and democracy, including the Helsinki
Committee, local NGOs focused on the protection of ethnic
minority rights, and a number of NGOs promoting transparency
in government and efforts to combat corruption.

USG-FUNDED PROJECTS WITH NGOS AND GOM PARTNERS


3. (U) Post's Democracy Commission small grants program funds
projects related to human rights. In the past year, efforts
have supported youth and student group activities to raise
awareness in the field of human rights and to strengthen
civil society through training, workshops, and radio programs
that reach remote areas of the country. Ongoing projects
target two key marginalized communities in Macedonia -- the
Roma community and persons with disabilities -- to raise
awareness about their rights and examine the challenges
facing members of these communities.


4. (U) A number of USG-funded projects work to bring
government closer to the people and to strengthen links
between citizens and elected officials. A phased
decentralization process started in 2005, with USAID as the
lead international donor in building the capacity of
municipalities to provide more effective and responsive
service for constituents. In addition, USAID funds numerous
projects to strengthen Macedonia's democratic system and
institutions through political party development, increased
parliamentary accountability, and NGO capacity-building.

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE HUMAN RIGHTS


5. (U) Post focused recent public diplomacy initiatives on
raising public awareness of trafficking in persons (TIP)
issues. A USG-funded nationwide media campaign launched on
March 8, International Women's Day, was targeted at
empowering young women in the fight against TIP. In the
coming year, post will also fund training for local
journalists covering TIP cases.

COORDINATION WITH REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS


6. (U) The U.S. works extensively with the OCSE Rule of Law
and Police Development units in Skopje to build a more
accountable, effective, and professional police force. Close
coordination between the U.S. and OSCE multiplies our
effectiveness, particularly in the areas of fighting
corruption, professionalization of the police, and capacity
building of the judiciary. Recent efforts have focused on
professional police training, humanitarian law training for
judges and prosecutors, and strengthening agencies engaged in
combating organized crime.

EFFORTS TO FOSTER DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL
SOCIETY


7. (U) Post's efforts this year, in tandem with our EU
colleagues, to foster dialogue between the governing
coalition and the largest ethnic Albanian opposition party,
DUI, were successful in ending DUI's boycott of parliament.
As a result, DUI has re-engaged in the democratic process.
Ongoing efforts, coordinated with local EU, OSCE, and NATO
representatives, encourage all political parties, NGOs, and
citizens to engage in consensus building and to strengthen
and develop Macedonia's democratic institutions.

GOM DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES


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8. (U) GOM officials regularly speak out to defend the rights
of ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria and Greece. The GOM
publicly praised the Government of Albania's recent efforts
to recognize and protect the rights of ethnic Macedonians in
Albania. The GOM continues to work toward full
implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement (FWA),which
brought the 2001 internal ethnic conflict to an end. The FWA
established a set of principles to create a multiethnic
democracy that guarantees equal rights for all ethnic
communities, a goal to which all major political parties here
aspire.
MILOVANOVIC