Back Partners and beneficiaries discuss ECtHR Judgement and how to ensure that transgender persons rights are fulfilled

Partners and beneficiaries discuss ECtHR Judgement and how to ensure that transgender persons rights are fulfilled

A multi-stakeholder discussion on the implementation of the ECtHR judgement on X vs North Macedonia and the amendments to the Law on Registry regarding Legal Gender recognition was organised on 25 May online.

The activity was attended by different stakeholders – members of Parliament, government representatives, representatives from the civil society organisations and activists, representatives from the EU Delegation and the SOGI Unit and the Department for the Execution of Judgements of the European Court for Human Rights from Council of Europe.

where the European Court for Human Rights found that the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights) of the applicant who is a transgender person had been violated due to lack of a regulatory framework for legal recognition of his gender identity and how the proposed amendments are key factor for the implementation of the judgement.

The discussion was opened with welcome addresses by from Lejla Dervisagic, Head of Operations of the Council of Europe Programme, Freek Janmat, Head of Sector for Economic Issues, Building Institutions and Cross border cooperation from the EU Delegation, Tanja Kikerekova, Head of Human Rights Department and Maja Morachanin, MP and Coordinator of the Intra-Party Parliamentary group for LGBTI rights. All speakers voiced their support to the amendments and their importance to the fulfilment of the European standards in this field and continuing the reforms to advance LGBTI rights. The panellists touched upon different angles of the subject, based on their own work and mandates, including the importance of the legal gender recognition process in the country, linked to the implementation of the ‘X vs North Macedonia’ judgement, and the impact it will have on the lives of transgender persons. Civil society representatives during the discussion recalled the challenges that transgender persons are facing in in the country.

The Government of North Macedonia adopted the amendments to the Law on Registry which are essential to the implementation of the 2019’s ECtHR Judgement and to give transgender persons the possibility to fulfil their civil rights and have their gender identity recognised. The next step of the process is the adoption of the amendments in the Parliament of North Macedonia, which was encouraged and supported by all the participants and representatives.

The initiative was organized in cooperation between the “No Hate Speech and Co-operation Unit" and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Unit within the CoE’s Anti-discrimination department, supported by the Action “Promotion of Diversity and Equality in North Macedonia” as part of the EU and Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022.

Skopje 25 May 2021
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goals
  • Strengthening the capacity of national and local stakeholders to better address issues related to anti-discrimination, combating hate speech and protecting rights of LGBTI persons in line with the standards and recommendations set by the Council of Europe – especially those of the European Commission on Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
  • Supporting North Macedonia's alignment to European standards in the field of fundamental rights
How will the Action work ?
  • Legal and strategic support to institutions
  • Capacity building activities
  • Peer-to-peer exchanges with regional and European partners
  • Awareness raising campaigns and public discussions on selected anti-discrimination topics
  • Support to civil society organisations and local authorities by small grant schemes, to enhance their capacities to tackle discrimination and reach out to the people
Expected results
  • Record of implementation of anti-discrimination policies and legislation, at the central and local level (especially on protection of the rights of LGBTI persons, and on combating hate speech/hate crime) is improved
  • Dialogue and cooperation between institutions and civil society organizations in promoting and protecting human rights is enhanced
  • Awareness of citizens on their rights and mechanisms to defend them is strenghtened
  • Contribution to achieve better protection of human rights for the citizens of Montenegro and to build a more diverse, equal and tolerant society

 

In the framework the programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey II”, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) co-organised a round table in Skopje on 14 November 2019 to discuss the follow-up given by the authorities to the recommendations of the ECRI 2016 report on North Macedonia, including the efforts to combat hate speech in the country in the framework of good practices and European standards.

project at a glance

Duration: 43 months (May 2019 to December 2022)

Beneficiaries :

► Citizens of North Macedonia

► Public authorities, including the law enforcement agencies

► Education professionals
► Civil society organisations engaged in promoting and protecting human rights

Funding: The European Union and the Council of Europe

Budget: 320,000.00 Euros

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LGBTI Helpline

The Action Promotion of Diversity and Equality in North Macedonia supported the launching of the first ever National LGBTI Helpline in North Macedonia as part of supported activities from the Small grants for anti-discrimination activities during COVID-19. The National LGBTI Helpline is implemented by the NGO Subversive Front in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.

 

 

 

 

project team

Marija Andreeva, Project Officer, Skopje

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