SUBMISSION FOR THE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA (4th CYCLE)

DOWNLOAD here

Coalition Margins and TransFormA submitted a parallel report for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) 4th cycle on North Macedonia. Our report sheds light on challenges faced by the LGBTIQ+ community.

Despite recent legislative efforts, discrimination against the LGBTIQ+ community remains a challenge. The anti-gender movement, with its roots in orchestrated strategies and involvement of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, actively opposes gender equality, inclusive education, and legal gender recognition (LGR).

Our recommendations include ensuring a quick, transparent and accessible procedure for LGR, adopting Gender Equality Law, ensuring oversight of religious institutions, and providing mandatory training for officials. We also emphasize the need for effective response to hate crimes, monitoring and collecting data on violence against the
LGBTIQ+ community.

In the previous UPR cycle, North Macedonia received recommendations on sexual orientation and gender identity, including anti-discrimination legislation, hate crime investigation, and educational reforms. Despite adopting the Law on Prevention and Protection of Discrimination in 2020, efforts to combat discrimination against the
LGBTIQ+ community have been limited.