A free press depends on the safety of those who work within it. In North Macedonia, main stakeholders are taking concrete steps to strengthen the safety of journalists in reality. Representatives of public institutions, the judiciary, prosecution, media and journalists’ organisations, civil society and other relevant stakeholders came together in Skopje to discuss priorities and practical measures for strengthening the protection and safety of journalists in North Macedonia.

The Thematic Inter-Professional Workshop on the Protection and Safety of Journalists was organised by the Ministry of Interior in co-operation with the Council of Europe, bringing relevant actors around the same table to contribute to the ongoing development of a National Action Plan for the Protection and Safety of Journalists. The workshop formed part of a broader consultation process aimed at ensuring that future measures respond to challenges identified by institutions, journalists and media actors and can be effectively implemented in practice.

Opening the workshop, Muhamed Ismaili, Assistant Minister for Public Relations and Strategic Issues at the Ministry of Interior, and Oleg Soldatov, Head of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje, highlighted the importance of institutional co-operation and sustained dialogue with the media community in creating an environment in which journalists can perform their work safely and freely. The discussions were framed by Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4, structured around four key pillars – prevention, protection, prosecution and promotion of information, education and awareness raising – as well as the objectives of the Council of Europe “Journalists Matter” Campaign for the Safety of Journalists.

The consultation focused on concrete challenges and possible measures, including more consistent implementation of existing legal safeguards, timely institutional responses to threats and attacks, improved co-ordination between law-enforcement and prosecution authorities, responses to online threats and gender-specific risks, and stronger institutional data collection and monitoring. Particular attention was also given to strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), specialised training for relevant professionals, digital and psychological safety, and mechanisms for providing journalists with information on the handling of reported cases.

The exchange provided stakeholders with an opportunity to comment on the relevance, comprehensiveness and practical applicability of the proposed measures and to identify issues requiring further consideration. The discussion addressed, among other matters, prevention and protection mechanisms, investigation and prosecution of threats and attacks, institutional responsibilities, and ways of strengthening inter-institutional co-operation.

The contributions gathered during the workshop will feed into the next stage of preparation of the National Action Plan. The input will be systematised and incorporated into a draft, accompanied by a more detailed implementation matrix covering responsible institutions, partners, timelines, resources, indicators and means of verification.

This initiative is implemented by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression within the framework of the action “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in North Macedonia”, under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”. The activity also contributes to the objectives of the Council of Europe “Journalists Matter” Campaign for the Safety of Journalists.