The structure of the Shadow Report on the Situation of National Minorities derives from the layout of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, where the articles are grouped in more general topics. On the other hand, the problems of the national minorities generally belong to several categories, which are compatible with these topics. Although it was prepared after the Initial State Report of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, this Shadow Report is not a response to it. Instead, the Shadow Report represents the standpoint of the Working Group, as an organized structure with experienced members of the non-governmental organizations from the Republic of Macedonia. At the beginning of its work, the 7-member team defined the membership criteria, the working procedures and the responsibilities of each member of the group. All the information presented in this report, as well as the individual standpoints in certain situations do not necessarily reflect the organizational standpoints; rather, they represent part of the teamwork over the past 5 months.

The aim of the report
The Republic of Macedonia signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities on 25th July 1996, and ratified it on 10th April 1997. The Convention entered into force on 1st February 1998. The Government of the Republic of Macedonia submitted the first report on this Convention on 4th September 2003, which was preceded by two shadow reports prepared by NGOs from Macedonia (Macedonian Helsinki Committee and ADI). Since the previous reports did not have the opportunity for comparison with the Government's report, and for the purpose of gaining a more realistic perspective on the situation of national minorities and minority rights in Macedonia, the Working Group considered it necessary to submit a third shadow report. This will provide a more specific comparison and complement to the factual situation. By this we are continuing the practice of the NGO sector submitting shadow reports to the Council of Europe. The purpose of the Shadow Report of the Working Group is to contribute to stabilization, secure the peace and well being of the citizens in the Republic of Macedonia, to promote respect of the rights of the national minorities and the practical implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in the Republic of Macedonia. This report represents an effort to attract the government institutions’ and the international community’s attention by presenting information and standpoints of the NGOs, which represent the ethnic communities. This report is based on their experiences and position in the society of the Republic of Macedonia, and recommends possible further steps for advancement of the integration of the national minorities in the Republic of Macedonia. First of all the Working Group went through all the articles in the FCNM and tried to give general comments on the situation in Macedonia referring to the appropriate articles. Based on thiscomments and by grouping of some of the issues in wider topics, the group established priority topics for consideration with this report, which are: 1. Discrimination 2. Tolerance Measures 3. Education and Language 4. Participation and Integration
In the period between November 2003 and March 2004 the Working Group for Minority Issues has gathered information in relation to the practical application and implementation of the Convention, analysis of the legal provisions and of the Initial Report of the Republic of Macedonia on the Framework Convention for the Protection of the National Minorities. The Working Group prepared the Shadow Report by summarizing the articles contained in the Framework Convention that refer to the specific topic, as well as giving insight into the conditions from the Working Group’s perspective. The Working Group, in relation to the List of Issues, defined a number of questions, and tried to give answers to them, and also obtain additional information from the competent institutions. During the whole process of compiling this shadow report the members of the Working Group had consultations with their organizations that are community based and have regular contact with the minority groups they are representing. All the other organizations from the ECMI Network and wider were invited, and some provided information which contributed to the Shadow Report. All the information provided in this document is listed by their original source, and in cases of not receiving a response from the state institutions they are listed by a copy of the document with the contents of the requested information. At the end the Working Group gives certain recommendations from their perspective.

Documents for download
Shadow report on the situation of national minorities in Macedonia download

Team
The ECMI Working Group for Minority Issues (‘the Working Group’) comprises of NGO activists, who, over the previous years, have continually worked in the area of protection of minority rights and improvement of inter-ethnic relations.
The working group consists of one representative from each of the six most represented communities in the Republic of Macedonia:

Project coordinator, Nadir Redzepi - Roma Humanitarian Association in Macedonia “Sonce”
Albanian communitie - Bajram Sulejmani - Ecological Society “Natyra”,
Vlach communitie - Sasko Sterjov - Union for the Culture of Vlachs in Macedonia,
Macedonian communitie - Aleksandra Bojadzieva - Active for Independent Initiative – AII,
Roma communitie - Samet Skenderi - Humanitarian and Charitable Association of Roma “Mesechina”,
Serbian communitie - Radomir Matovic - Centre for Culture and Constructive Action “Neven”
Turkish communitie - Suzana Musli - Organization of Turkish Women in Macedonia “Derya”.

Only the Boshniac community is not represented in the group, because of the lack of appropriate NGO within the network. The Working Group for Minority Issues is part of the ECMI NGO network for Improving of the Interethnic Relations in the Republic of Macedonia.