OSCE Mission to Skopje supports public debate on draft amendments to the law against discrimination

Legal experts from across the country joined an OSCE-supported public debate in Skopje on 20 October 2017 to comment on the draft amendments to the law on anti-discrimination.

The amendments mainly focus on the definition of direct and indirect discrimination, exceptions from direct discrimination, and the imposition of weak misdemeanour sanctions on the perpetrators of discrimination, among other things.

“There are challenges in implementing the current law,” said Deputy Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje, Jeffrey Goldstein. “Although the adoption of the new law will be a major step forward, it is still necessary to implement the law in a proper manner, requiring increased public awareness, capacity building and inter-institutional co-operation in order to ensure the effective protection of the rights of citizens on an equal basis.”

The Mission will continue to support improvements to anti-discrimination policies and legislation, and it will facilitate the process of commenting on the draft Law by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).