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9
December 2009
10 December - Human Rights Day
Embrace diversity, end discrimination
On Thursday 10 December, the Delegation of the European Union in Skopje organised a series of events to mark the International Human Rights Day
and highlight this year more particularly the theme of anti-discrimination. The EU-supported project “Renovation of the Police Station-Kisela Voda” was promoted at the Kisela Voda Police Station
by Ambassador Erwan Fouéré, EU Special representative and Head of Delegation and Ms Gordana Jankuloska, Minister of Interior. The project aims to raise significantly the standards of this important police station
in order to enhance the protection of the rights of the citizen in line with EU best practice. At the EU InfoCentre, a panel discussion entitled “Embrace diversity, end discrimination”, was organised, during which
Ambassador Erwan Fouéré, Mr Xheljalj Bajrami, Minister of Labor and Social Policy and Mr Saso Klekovski, Executive Director of the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation and member of the Coalition against discrimination addressed the audience.
The other activities organised the same day were:
- promotion of a "Manual on Human Rights" by the Embassy of the Netherlands
- release of the list of NGO projects that have been selected for funding under the
European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) as well as a presentation of the activities and results of the group of projects implemented in 2009 (EIDHR NGO Fair).
- A gathering with all NGOs supported by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights will close the programme.
The European Union has provided substantial support to the police reform in order to achieve high-level guarantees of basic rights, the application of minimum standards on physical condition of police stations, that encompass both the structure of the actual buildings and the facilities hosted.
The full renovation of the Police Station in Kisela Voda, amounting to 500.000 EUR, is one of the EU-funded projects in the area of Justice and Home Affairs, in addition to similar full or partial renovation projects in 9 other police stations in the country [Skopje (Centar, Gazi Baba, Karpos, Bit Pazar), Prilep, Gostivar, Gevgelija, Stip and Tetovo], for an overall amount of app. 850,000 EUR.
The authorities have engaged themselves to provide complementary funding for the equipment and furniture of the renovated police stations.
The Human Rights Day events are mobilizing Government officials and civil society experts, the Office of the Ombudsman and the judiciary as well as students and young people in marking this important day in order to increase the awareness on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to reaffirm everybody's commitment to its values and principles.
The European Union is committed to human security: promoting human rights while tackling the root causes of poverty and conflict. The EU builds human security by reducing poverty and inequality, promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, assisting development, and addressing the root causes of conflict and insecurity. Therefore, current efforts need
to be multiplied in reaching out to and mobilising all actors concerned, within and outside the EU, to make discrimination a feature of the past.
+ Photo gallery of the
event
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