Macedonia

The following Justice Initiative projects are underway in, or relevant to, Macedonia:

Freedom of Information and Expression

Macedonia: FOI Adoption Campaign
A meeting on 11 November 2002 in Skopje brought together a range of Macedonian NGOs and other key actors to discuss campaign strategy. This meeting was organized as a follow-up to a southeast European regional meeting co-organized by the Justice Initiative and Article 19. Participants highlighted a continuing culture of secrecy in Macedonia, as well as insufficient public awareness of the right to ask for government-held information. Discussions focused on how to take forward the campaign for an FOI law in Macedonia, particularly in light of a change of government in late 2002.

Macedonia: Comments on the Draft Law on Free Access to Information
These comments to a draft Macedonian freedom of information law were submitted to the Macedonian Ministry of Justice in October 2004. The Ministry has indicated that it will produce a new draft incorporating the comments, which the Justice Initiative will be asked to review.

Regional: Freedom of Information Adoption Strategy session
On 10 November 2002, a one-day meeting of FOI groups was organized by the Open Society Justice Initiative and Article 19 in Skopje, Macedonia, in order to develop strategies for furthering freedom of information goals in the southeast European region. Participants presented the current situation regarding the adoption of freedom of information laws in each country/territory. It was noted that although many countries have constitutional provisions on the right to information (Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia), governments give a low priority to adopting the legislation needed to make the provision operational. Furthermore, there tends to be widespread confusion between “Public Information” (mass media) laws and access to information (FOI) laws. NGO representatives from countries with FOI laws (Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia) were invited to (and attended) a regional meeting in Zagreb in March 2003, to share their experiences of campaigning for the adoption of these laws.

Regional: Freedom of Information Law Implementation, Legal Advice, Litigation and Monitoring Tool
Justice Initiative FOI implementation projects include legal advice and litigation in Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Peru. Litigation challenging government refusals to provide requested information has been a traditional tool of activists interested in making freedom of information laws work in countries that have them. The Justice Initiative is currently working with partners to provide legal advice and pursue litigation in Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Peru. The Justice Initiative has developed an “Access to Information Monitoring Tool” which permits evaluation of national FOI law implementation and comparative assessment between countries. This instrument is currently being tested in a pilot project encompassing Armenia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Peru and South Africa.