The National Committee for the Protection and Safety of Journalists has been established in North Macedonia, marking an important step towards creating a safer and more enabling environment for journalists and media professionals in the country.

The Committee will serve as a national mechanism to strengthen institutional co-operation, address threats and challenges faced by journalists, and co-ordinate measures to improve their safety. It will bring together representatives of relevant public institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, alongside representatives of the media community, to promote a comprehensive and sustainable approach to the protection and safety of journalists.

The establishment of the Committee builds on ongoing dialogue and co-operation among public authorities, journalists' associations, media representatives and other relevant stakeholders, supported by the Council of Europe through its continued engagement in strengthening journalists' safety in North Macedonia.

Through the European Union and Council of Europe joint action Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in North Macedonia (PRO-FREX) and the Council of Europe's Journalists Matter Campaign, technical expertise, policy guidance and support for institutional dialogue and stakeholder consultations have been provided. These efforts have contributed to strengthening co-operation among relevant institutions and media stakeholders, facilitating the establishment of the Committee and supporting the ongoing preparation of the National Action Plan for the Protection and Safety of Journalists (2027–2030).

The Committee will play an important role in advancing the Plan by identifying priorities and supporting co-ordinated implementation, monitoring and follow-up measures, in line with Council of Europe standards, particularly Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors.

The development of the Committee provides an opportunity to translate European and Council of Europe standards into practical measures, strengthen institutional responses to threats against journalists and contribute to a safer media environment, while safeguarding the public's right to information.

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.