Alternative report of non-governmental organizations on the state of children's rights in Macedonia

Macedonian National Coalition for the Rights of the Child

Skopje, October 2020

 

FOREWORD

At the very beginning, as a reminder, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989, entered into force on September 2, 1990, and was ratified by Macedonia in 1993. In front of you is the Alternative report of nongovernmental organizations on the implementation of the CRC in Macedonia in the period from 2010 to the first half of 2020. The report was prepared by the informal coalition of NGOs - Macedonian National Coalition for the Rights of the Child, joined by few other orgnisations that are not yet members of the Coallition. The Coalition was established and coordinated by the First Children's Embassy in the World Megjashi.

In 2010, after reviewing the second periodic report, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child published the Concluding Observations for the State, in which it indicated everything that needs to be done to promote the rights of children in Macedonia. After receiving the concluding remarks, the Children's Embassy Megjashi together with some of the member organizations of the Coalition monitored the level of implementation of the recommendations of the Committee and during 2020 conducted an online survey with over 30 organizations and generated data that helped obtain an objective picture with regard to the situation with the rights of the child in Macedonia.

What we consider especially important is that children and young people were actively involved in the preparation and implementation of the online research for children, as well as in the preparation of a separate Children's Alternative Report on the state of children's rights.

It is important to note that this Alternative Report is a result of the multi-year efforts of the Coalition member organizations in monitoring the implementation of the CRC. In addition to the reports prepared in previous years, this report includes additional data, key information from NGOs in areas for which the state report does not provide enough information, in areas which are not covered, or areas which, in opinion of the NGOs, are covered, but are not entirely accurate, as well as suggestions and reccommomendations. The report provides an overview of the state of play with the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations 10 years after their adoption.

Gordana Pirkovska Zmijanac

First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi

Skopje, October 2020

 

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE REPORT

This report represents an overall consensus of opinion of the NGOs and informal groups that contributed to this report. It does not necessarily represent in all respects or detail the views of every organization/group. Thanks to the following organizations/groups for sharing their experiences to inform about the preparation of this report:

Association “Emotionally Healthy Childhood”

Association for Democratic Initiatives - ADI

Association for Psychological, Special Education and Speech Therapy Services "Center Savant"

Association for the Rights of Children and Youth with Special Needs “Lastovica”

Association „MIR“ Skopje

Association of Citizens for Promotion and Protection of Spiritual and Cultural Values LEGIS Skopje

Association of Citizens for Supporting of Marginalized Groups "Roma Resource Center" Skopje

Association of Parents of Children with Rare Neurological Diseases (Rett Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, etc.) KOKICINJA Skopje

Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Centre for Human Rights AMOS Bitola

Citizens' Association RUBIKON - Skopje

Citizens’ Association UNITED WE STAND TALL Skopje

City Red Cross of Skopje

Civic Initiative for Joint Custody

Clean Air Movement

Click Action

Coalition All for Fair Trials

Coalition MARGINS

Coalition of Youth Organizations SEGA*

Defense for Children’s Rights (DCR)

Family and Childcare Center - KMOP Skopje

Foundation for Education and Cultural Initiatives "Step by Step"-Macedonia

HERA – Health Education and Research Association

IMPETUS - Center for Internet, Development and Good Governance

Macedonian Young Lawyers Association

Mother and Child Movement

National Alliance for Rare Diseases in R.Macedonia - NARDM

NGO United by Heart Stip

Open Gate-La Strada Macedonia

Peace Action

Polio Plus – Movement Against Disability

Resource Centre for Parents of Special Needs Children

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Alternative report of the non-governmental organizations to the state reports about the situation with the rights of the child in the Republic of Macedonia   You can download the report here Download   PDF 1216 KB



ALTERNATIVE REPORT ON THE STATE OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN MACEDONIA – FROM CHILDREN’S PERSPECTIVE

First Children’s Embassy in the World Megjashi – Republic of Macedonia

FOREWORD The report was written by a team of children, aged 12 to 17, who accepted the First Children's Embassy in the World Megjashi's invitation to participate in this process. These pupils and their schools are part of Children's Embassy Megjashi's activities within the Let's Take the Rights in our Hands Project, Empowering Child’s Strengths for Violence Prevention Project and the Peace Education Programme, through which they have previously obtained key knowledge on children's rights. The preparation of this report was organized into two phases: research phase and report writing phase. During the research phase (May-July 2020), a nationwide survey on the state of the child rights was designed and conducted, providing data on various aspects of children’s lives in the country, the problems they face and the things they think should be improved.1 The survey was disseminated online in both Macedonian and Albanian language, and it was completed by 1077 children aged 12 to 17. Total of thirty pupils from 11 primary and secondary schools in Veles,2 Vinica,3 Gostivar,4 Debar5 and Skopje6 participated in the design, piloting and dissemination of the survey. Out of this group of pupils, thirteen decided to participate in the second phase, i.e. the preparation of the report. Within the second phase (July-October 2020), a number of online meetings and workshops were held, enabling the children to further develop their knowledge on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and learn about the reporting process before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

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