Thursday, 15 November 2012, Brussels
MACEDONIAN DELEGATION IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Parliamentary Seminar on protection of human rights and the situation of women and children was held on 14 and 15 November in Brussels, Belgium, in organization of the Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union and its Unit for relations with the Western Balkans Parliaments.
At this event, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia was represented by Ms. Liljana Popovska - Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, Mr. Anotnijo Milososki - Chairperson of the Foreign Policy Committee, Mr. Gordan Georgiev - member of the Standing Inquiry Committee for Protection of the Civil Freedoms and Rights, and Ms. Hajrije Misimi - member of the Constitutional Committee.
During the debate on protection of the minorities in the EU and the Western Balkans, the role of civil society in the protection of human rights and the situation of women and children, the Macedonian parliamentarians pointed out the positive developments resulting form the reform processes in the country.
Mr. Anotnijo Milososki emphasized the importance of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, the application of the Badinter principle in the process of adoption of decisions in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, and the right to use the languages of all the ethnic communities in the society, giving the example of the media - the national TV and Radio has programmes on the languages of all the ethnic communities.
Ms. Liljana Popovska took part in the debate on gender equality. She emphasized the improved situation of women in politics and society, especially in the administration, regarding education of Roma women, the importance of regular health checks for prevention of malignant diseases, and the improved status of women as active members of society in general.
Regarding the efficiency of the Law on Protection against Discrimination, Ms. Popovska said that it is a functional solution that reflects the current developments in the society and that it is a step forward in the overall reform processes and the approximation of the national legislation to that of the European Union.
Discussing the situation of women and children in rural areas, Ms. Hajrije Misimi pointed out the need for increased activity of the institutions of the state in order to improve the situation with regard to their status, the access to education and securing adequate health protection.
Mr. Milososki informed the participants of the Seminar about the recently adopted Law on Civil Accountability for Defamation and Libel that will contribute to the strengthening of freedom of expression and the situation with the media in the country.
Ms. Popovska welcomed the appointment of Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis as European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights and expressed her belief that his work will contribute to the improvement of the situation with human rights in the region and that he will encourage his country to ratify the European Convention for the protection of national minorities.