Brev til Nordmakedoniens regering: Beskyt jeres minoriteter og LGBT-personer
Opfyld løfte om antidiskriminationslov i Nordmakedonien. Tak for løftet, men vedtag loven og beskyt jeres mest sårbare og marginaliserede grupper. Brev fra EP-medlemmer til Nordmakedoniens regering.
I maj i år underkendte den nordmakedoniske Højesteret landets ny lov om anti-diskrimination. Loven er hjørnestenen i det nordmakedoniske civilsamfundets kamp gennem årtier for at sikre beskyttelsen af landets mest sårbare og marginaliserede. Højesterets underkendelse af loven er et stort tilbageslag for de demokratiske reformer. Derudover er loven, der beskyttede minoriteter mod diskrimination, er et vigtigt skridt på vejen mod Nordmakedoniens mulige EU-medlemskab.
Den nyvalgte nordmakedonske regering har lovet at indføre loven. Med dette brev takker vi for, at genfremsættelse af loven er blandt regeringens prioriteter. Vi sender også et signal til Nordmakedonien, som begyndte forhandlinger med EU om optagelse tilbage i marts i år, om at loven er nødvendig. Vedtagelsen vil sende et stærkt og afgørende signal om, at Nordmakedonien tilknytter sig de værdier om frihed og ligeværd, som vi deler i Europa.
Som medlem af Europa-Parlamentets tværpolitiske LGBTI-gruppe er det vigtigt for mig, at både EU-lande og kandidatlande beskytter minoriteter mod vold og diskrimination. Derfor er det vigtigt, at holde regeringer op på deres løfter herom.
Brevet er afsendt sammen med flere intergrupperne i Europa Parlamentet for Handikap, Children’s Rights (link til deres FB side) og Anti-Racism and Diversity (link til deres FB side).
Du kan læse brevet (PDF) her, og se det nedenfor,
Prime-Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev
Deputy Prime-Minister for Political System and Intercommunity Relations Artan Grubi
Minister for Labour and Social Policy Jagoda Shahpaska
Brussels, 4 September 2020
Subject: Request to adopt the Law on Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination
Dear Prime-Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev,
Dear Deputy Prime-Minister for Political System and Intercommunity Relations, Artan Grubi, Dear Minister for Labour and Social Policy, Jagoda Shahpaska,
We, the undersigned MEPs, would like to congratulate you on your recent successful parliamentary election, and we are looking forward to working with a government that will further prosperity in North Macedonia and its path towards EU integration, in particular as regards democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights. In this latter regard, we would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation that the recently repealed Law on Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination (repealed by the Constitutional Court of North Macedonia in May due to a technicality) is among one of the new government’s priorities in the coming months.
The repealing of this legislation has meant that North Macedonia currently does not provide sufficient protection from discrimination for all its citizens. As members of the European Parliament’s Intergroups on LGBTI rights, Anti-Racism and Diversity (ARDI), Disability and Children’s Rights, we are particularly concerned that the current lack of legislation negatively impacts the most marginalised people in society, such as Roma people, LGBTI persons, women, people living in poverty, people with disabilities and religious minorities.
This law, which was approved by national experts and activists after years of tireless work, and was praised by the Venice Commission, the United Nations, the European Union and the OSCE-ODIHR, was exemplary in its protection of all citizens against discrimination. In addition, it contained protection based on a number of grounds, which fulfil commitments that are necessary for the continuation of accession talks between the EU and North Macedonia. This law is also the subject of a declaration for priority adoption signed by several parties and civil society organisations in North Macedonia.
Given the importance of this matter and the fact that the repeal has left these groups unprotected, we believe the situation is of utmost urgency. We therefore welcome the addition of this law to the governmental programme and urge you to fulfil the political commitment to adopt it as soon as possible and ensure that its implementing body – the Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination – is established within the legal timeframe soon after the readoption of the law.
Lastly, we are looking forward to cooperating with the new government during its accession on all issues addressing equality.
Yours sincerely,
