Back Promoting ethical and gender-sensitive reporting on human trafficking cases in North Macedonia

Promoting ethical and gender-sensitive reporting on human trafficking cases in North Macedonia

Journalists and communication officers from across North Macedonia sharpened their skills in ethical and gender-sensitive reporting on human trafficking cases during a capacity-building training organised by the European Union and Council of Europe. The session, delivered in cooperation with the Association of Journalists and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), aimed to equip media professionals with practical tools to report responsibly while safeguarding victims’ personal data and privacy.

North Macedonia has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings in 2009, committing to the protection of victims of human trafficking. Yet, reporting on human trafficking cases remains complex, requiring careful balancing of the public’s right to information with victims’ privacy and personal data, as well as victim-oriented approach when reporting such cases. During the training, participants explored the challenges and responsibilities of covering human trafficking cases.

Marijana MARUSIC-KOS, the Council of Europe consultant, stressed the importance of protecting victim’s privacy. “The non-disclosure of the victim’s personal data overrides the public interest. Reporting without sensationalism, without photos, scenes of suffering, or identifiable information about the victim means respecting ethical values, and protecting the victim from re-traumatisation”, said MARUSIC-KOS.

The activity provided journalists and communication officers with the opportunity to better understand the victim’s perspective in human trafficking cases, strengthen their ethical and gender-sensitive reporting skills and enhance understanding of safeguarding victims’ personal data and privacy. Since a multi-disciplinary approach is key to successful prevention and fight against human trafficking, the training also promoted dialogue, co-operation and networking between institutions and media actors, when reporting on trafficking and gender-based violence cases.

This initiative was organised within actions “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in North MacedoniaStrengthening anti - trafficking action in North Macedonia” and “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in North Macedonia (PRO-FREX)” which are part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint Programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.

Skopje, North Macedonia 16 December 2025
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The action ‘Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in North Macedonia’ (PRO-FREX) enables the beneficiary institutions and civil society organisations in North Macedonia to progress towards meeting their reform agendas in the field of freedom of expression and freedom of media, in line with the European standards.

The action is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye running from 2023 to 2026 and aims to contribute to an improved environment for the exercise, in particular by journalists and media actors, of their rights of freedom of expression, in a more pluralistic and safer media environment, in line with the standards as set by Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

What are the goals and objectives of the action?

  • to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the media and to improve the application of European standards in the field.
  • to enhance the protection of journalists and contribute to the creation of an enabling, safer and more pluralistic media environment.
  • to strengthen the skills and knowledge of the actors who are responsible for applying the standards on freedom of expression as part of their daily work.

Who benefits from the action?

  • independent state bodies in the field of media regulation (the Agency for Audio and Audio-visual Media Services) and access to information and protection of information (the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information and the Personal Data Protection Agency).

  • associations of journalists and media actors in North Macedonia.

  • professionals such as judges, prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, broadcasters, journalists, other media actors.
  • the people of North Macedonia.

How does the action work?

  • by providing legal advice to improve the alignment of legal and regulatory frameworks to the relevant European standards;
  • by providing research and policy support to institutions and civil society organisations in the field;
  • by raising awareness among duty bearers and rights holders of the relevant European standards;
  • by offering capacity-building for the various professional categories, anchored in the European standards and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR);
  • by facilitating regional dialogue and exchange of good practices, in synergy with the regional action.

What do we expect to achieve?

  • The legal framework will be improved and the judicial application of the European standards on freedom of expression, access to information, data protection and protection of journalists will be enhanced;
  • the Media Regulatory Authority, the Personal Data Protection Agency, the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, and the public broadcaster implement changes in their policies and practices in line with European standards;
  • Journalists’ safety will be strengthened in terms of addressing threats and attacks, as a result of the established domestic legal mechanisms to protect freedom of expression, in line with European standards.

What is the budget of the action?

  • The total budget of the action is 680,000 EUR
  • The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

 

About Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023-2026” is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans’ Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law, and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.


 

PROJECT CONTACTS

Ana Funa                                     Project Assistant                        +389 2 3100 336                     contact