Development of a multi-sectoral National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disability in the Republic of North Macedonia

The period for implementing the previous National Strategy for Persons with Disability (2010-2018) finished a while ago. Since 2018, the coordination of national policies aimed at the needs of persons with disability have been implemented in a form of annual action plans (2019, 2021) where several key ministries were involved with introducing concrete measures within their own institutional strategies.

In absence of a national cross-sectoral strategy, the pace and depth of integrating the principle “Leave no one behind”, with a focus on disability in different sectors are very limited since ministries tend to see the inclusion of persons with disability as primary responsibility of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. This was especially evident in the limited budget funds allocated to other ministries for implementation of activities planned according to the action plans. On the other hand, without strategic guidelines from the central level, the municipalities are not able to introduce additional services adjusted to different types of disabilities or to be included in transformational activities for creating more inclusive communities.

The preparation process of the new strategy is initiated and facilitated by the Office of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia through the National Coordinative Body for Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy as the holder of the Strategy. The GIZ Office, as well as the UN Agencies in our country will give their support in the whole process of preparation of this important strategic document.

The new strategy will be preceded by an evaluation of the previously implemented annual action plans (2019, 2021), the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in order to review the results achieved, to identify the needs and possibilities for advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. In this regard, the main recommendations proposed in the Situation Analysis on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2021) will be taken as a basis for the evaluation report.

The document will provide guidance to as many concerned parties as possible to incorporate measures that will contribute to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The strategy will have an action plan that will foresee short-term, medium-term, and long-term activities with focus on measures specially aimed at persons with disabilities, as well as integrating the disability in different sectoral policies. The activities in the action plan will also be related to the Sustainable Development Goals and sub-goals, which will assist the relevant ministries to gather data for monitoring the implementation of the strategy. In this regard, the local data gathering according to the principle “Leave no one behind” from the 2030 Agenda will be very useful.

As a part of the process for developing the National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disability in the Republic of North Macedonia on 25.5.2022 at the National Council of Disability Organizations in Macedonia, a consultation meeting was held with all relevant stakeholders concerned with the process of the developing the document, i.e., representatives from the Office of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, members of the National Coordinative Body for Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UN Agencies in the country, the National Disability Organizations, representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman, civil organizations, parents’ communities and persons with disabilities.

The National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disability in the Republic of North Macedonia is a part of the Government’s programme for 2022, and the holder is the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy with technical support of the German Development Agency.

In the consultation processes the opinions of all participants were taken into consideration. The development of the document will be in accordance with the obligations and principles undertaken by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and complementary to the European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, based on data and analyses made about the current state of respect and realization of the rights of persons with disabilities.

The positive atmosphere creates conditions for preparing comprehensive and real strategy that will be sustainable, enforceable and will include all, central and local government, national disability organizations, civil organizations, persons with disability and UN agencies. The timeframe for executing the future activities was mutually agreed through discussions.

The participants at this meeting reached a consensus that the development of the National Strategy is of great importance for persons with disabilities, in advancing their rights and inclusion in society on equal terms as others.

The Concept for preparing the multi-sectoral National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disability in the Republic of North Macedonia follows:

Background

• The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is adopted in 2006 and ratified by the Republic of Nort Macedonia in 2011.
• The approach of the UN Convention based on human rights and the principle “Leave no one behind” from the 2030 Agenda are the guiding principles of the Strategy.
• Children and adults with disability (and their families indirectly) are identified as the most vulnerable group.
• There is a strong need for developing services in the areas of education and social care, and the existing services are not equally available for children and persons with different types of disability, as well as non-compliance with international standards.
• Mappings showed that the locally available services do not reach all persons in need of the service.
• The services should additionally be developed in order to meet their needs according to the type of disability, age and sex.
• It is necessary to put more emphasis on social services aimed directly at working with families to prevent separation and to support the reunion where separation has been inevitable.
• Involvement of the ministries, as well as involving the Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, Parents’ Organizations, the Commission on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, the Association of the Units of Local Self-Government of the Republic of North Macedonia (ZELS), the Office of the Ombudsman, and other stakeholders will be of key importance for success of the process.
• The Strategy will contain an action plan, which will envisage short-term, medium-term, and long-term activities focusing on specific disability measures, as well as the inclusion of disability in various sectoral policies.
• The activities in the action plan will also be connected to adequate sustainable development goals and sub-goals that will assist the relevant ministries in gathering data for monitoring the implementation of the strategy.

Principles

• Twin track approach with equal meaning to specific disability measures and to inclusion of disability in all policy fields.
• Participatory approach with taking in consideration the attitudes and opinions of organizations of persons with disability.
• Bottom – up approach in defining the new strategy taking into account the needs identified on local level based on the reporting for social mapping and with the inclusion of ZELS.
• Coordinated approach through cooperation with all development agencies in order to align their programmes with the planned activities in the strategy.
• Cross-sectoral approach with inclusion of representatives from the private sector and civil organizations that work in the human rights and disability field.
• Strengthening the human rights-based approach by aligning all activities with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the principle “Leave no one behind” from 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Design of the process

Preparatory steps:

Coordination and cooperation with the development agencies, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and the Office of the Ombudsman

Coordination of the roles and contributions of other sectors

Evaluation and analysis of the existing situation

Phase I – Kick-off two-day workshop for sensibilization of various stakeholders regarding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the human rights model

Day I – Sensibilization on the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Day II – Identification of the entry points of the sectoral policies through the proposed thematic areas and contribution from stakeholders

Phase II – Thematic areas, working groups, national and local workshops

I. Accessibility (transport, housing, public areas, communications)

II. Media and transparency (awareness regarding the rights of specific services for support, access to culture and art)

III. Disability specific services (social care, education, health)

IV. Employability

V. Access to justice, rule of law and democratic participation

VI. Local development and inclusive communities

VII. Monitoring and implementation

Phase III – Workshop for validation

Roles and contribution from the identified partners

According to the Programme for Work of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia for 2022, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is the holder of the National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disability and will lead the preparation of the document through a transparent, inclusive, and participatory process with all relevant national stakeholders and international partners. Once finalized, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy will submit the draft National Strategy for consideration and adoption by the Government.

• The National Coordinative Body for Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as an initiator of the process for developing the strategy, will put on disposal its competencies and technical expertise and will support the engagement and coordination of relevant ministries, organizations of persons with disability, the academic community, and other actors throughout the whole process.
• The Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and Parents’ Organizations will contribute from the perspective of different types of disability, as well as other civil organizations that work in the field of human rights.
• The Office of the Ombudsman will contribute on behalf of the Mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and will share expertise from a human rights perspective and non-discrimination.
• The Association of the Units of Local Self-Government of the Republic of North Macedonia (ZELS) will contribute with knowledge about the needs of the municipalities in the inclusion of disability at the local level, as well as advocacy for the preconditions that need to be met so that municipalities can act as partners in coordinating the local implementation process.
• The private sector will be represented by the three biggest economic chambers.
• Other social enterprises known as a model for work integration.
• The development organizations and other GIZ projects (more specifically SEDRA and Sport for Development) will contribute by sharing their expertise in the working groups, as well as aligning their current and future project activities with the needs for implementing the upcoming strategy.