Research on the situation in the Republic of Macedonia relating the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
As a special part of the programme activities aimed towards realization of human rights through advancing legal opportunities, the Republic Center – PORAKA began with research and analysis of the situation in Republic of Macedonia relating the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The methodology design of the research is based on quality and quantity methods for gathering the required data.
- Data regarding the legislation in Republic of Macedonia, provided by an analysis of the legal acts, in order to selectively present the rights of persons with intellectual disability, compared to the provisions in the UN Convention.
- Data from officially and unofficially promoted documents that refer to different issues concerning intellectual disability in Republic of Macedonia, received from the relevant ministries, the State Statistical Office and other institutions and organizations.
- Interviews with focus groups consisted of representatives from local organizations of PORAKA, in order to understand and assess the living situations of persons with intellectual disability in Republic of Macedonia from different aspects.
- Interviews with parents, persons with intellectual disability who have the capacity to communicate (self-advocates) and members of their families, in the local organizations. A questionnaire shall be used for this purpose, prepared according the UN Convention structure.
The analysis of the received data shall display the real situation and references and recommendations for their advancement. The analysis shall be published as a report and shall be used as a lobbying instrument in front of the institutions responsible for advancing human rights of persons with intellectual disability. The report is going to be distributed and promoted to all relevant stakeholders, with presentation of the basic guidelines and proposed measures for advancing the legal regulative and its realization.
December 2013 marks two years since the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This means that Republic of Macedonia is obligated to prepare a comprehensive initial report relating the implementation of the Convention in the first two years since the ratification and to submit it to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the United Nations.
The Republic Center for Support of Persons with intellectual Disability – PORAKA shall actively participate in this process and shall offer its support to the authorities in preparing the report. Moreover, PORAKA is going to use the opportunity to submit alternative report (”shadow report”) with its own observations for progress in the implementation of obligations arising from the Convention. Thereby, the foundation of this report shall be the findings of the current research, which PORAKA is implementing with its local organizations.
