VZCZCXRO6588
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0748/01 2561405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131405Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6515
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0031
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2130

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000748 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, G, AND DRL/SEA 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO NSC/DEMOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: INPUT FOR PRESIDENT'S HUMAN RIGHTS 
ROUNDTABLE AT UNGA 
 
REF: STATE 125456 
 
POST'S ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
¶1. (U) USG efforts in Macedonia to protect and promote human 
rights focus on strengthening rule of law, decreasing 
political influence on and corruption in the security forces 
and judiciary, and capacity building to strengthen democratic 
institutions and civil society. 
 
¶2. (U) Embassy officials, including the Ambassador and other 
senior staff, regularly meet with the Ombudsman and NGOs 
working to protect and promote human rights and democracy. 
The Office of the Ombudsman has a mandate to protect 
citizens' rights, fight discrimination, and improve equitable 
representation for all ethnic communities.  The Office of the 
Ombudsman, with strong U.S. and EU support, has been steadily 
increasing its capacity to protect citizen's rights. 
Numerous NGOs operating in Macedonia work to protect and 
promote human rights and democracy, including the Helsinki 
Committee, local NGOs focused on the protection of ethnic 
minority rights, and a number of NGOs promoting transparency 
in government and efforts to combat corruption. 
 
USG-FUNDED PROJECTS WITH NGOS AND GOM PARTNERS 
 
¶3. (U) Post's Democracy Commission small grants program funds 
projects related to human rights.  In the past year, efforts 
have supported youth and student group activities to raise 
awareness in the field of human rights and to strengthen 
civil society through training, workshops, and radio programs 
that reach remote areas of the country.  Ongoing projects 
target two key marginalized communities in Macedonia -- the 
Roma community and persons with disabilities -- to raise 
awareness about their rights and examine the challenges 
facing members of these communities. 
 
¶4. (U) A number of USG-funded projects work to bring 
government closer to the people and to strengthen links 
between citizens and elected officials.  A phased 
decentralization process started in 2005, with USAID as the 
lead international donor in building the capacity of 
municipalities to provide more effective and responsive 
service for constituents.  In addition, USAID funds numerous 
projects to strengthen Macedonia's democratic system and 
institutions through political party development, increased 
parliamentary accountability, and NGO capacity-building. 
 
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
¶5. (U) Post focused recent public diplomacy initiatives on 
raising public awareness of trafficking in persons (TIP) 
issues.  A USG-funded nationwide media campaign launched on 
March 8, International Women's Day, was targeted at 
empowering young women in the fight against TIP.  In the 
coming year, post will also fund training for local 
journalists covering TIP cases. 
 
COORDINATION WITH REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 
 
¶6. (U) The U.S. works extensively with the OCSE Rule of Law 
and Police Development units in Skopje to build a more 
accountable, effective, and professional police force.  Close 
coordination between the U.S. and OSCE multiplies our 
effectiveness, particularly in the areas of fighting 
corruption, professionalization of the police, and capacity 
building of the judiciary.  Recent efforts have focused on 
professional police training, humanitarian law training for 
judges and prosecutors, and strengthening agencies engaged in 
combating organized crime. 
 
EFFORTS TO FOSTER DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL 
SOCIETY 
 
¶7. (U) Post's efforts this year, in tandem with our EU 
colleagues, to foster dialogue between the governing 
coalition and the largest ethnic Albanian opposition party, 
DUI, were successful in ending DUI's boycott of parliament. 
As a result, DUI has re-engaged in the democratic process. 
Ongoing efforts, coordinated with local EU, OSCE, and NATO 
representatives, encourage all political parties, NGOs, and 
citizens to engage in consensus building and to strengthen 
and develop Macedonia's democratic institutions. 
 
GOM DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES 
 
 
SKOPJE 00000748  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8. (U) GOM officials regularly speak out to defend the rights 
of ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria and Greece.  The GOM 
publicly praised the Government of Albania's recent efforts 
to recognize and protect the rights of ethnic Macedonians in 
Albania.  The GOM continues to work toward full 
implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement (FWA), which 
brought the 2001 internal ethnic conflict to an end.  The FWA 
established a set of principles to create a multiethnic 
democracy that guarantees equal rights for all ethnic 
communities, a goal to which all major political parties here 
aspire. 
MILOVANOVIC