Skopje, 6 September 2022 (MIA) – The fight against discrimination refers to the whole society, not only to one institution or a certain group. Therefore, I call upon all state and non-state actors to fully engage and take responsibility in achieving equality and ending discrimination. We all need to commit to accepting zero tolerance approach to discrimination, the Ambassador Clemens Koja, Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje said on Tuesday. In his opening remarks at the sixth regional conference of equality bodies in SEE, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday in Skopje, the Ambassador Koja said that the OSCE-Eurobarometer survey, which has been conducted since 2018, shows that one in three respondents reported being discriminated against on at least one basis, while 40 percent of respondents said that they had witnessed someone else's discrimination. “The results of the survey also show that out of the total number of victims, on average, half of them experienced discrimination on multiple grounds, and the most prevalent is discrimination based on political and ethnic affiliation. In addition, one third of respondents said that they would not seek protection from institutions if they experienced discrimination. For us this is a matter of great concern. To help remedy this situation, the OSCE Mission remains committed to supporting policies, the legal framework, strengthening the national body for equality, inter-institutional cooperation and supporting public awareness activities,” the Ambassador noted. Reminding on the principle that all people are equal before the law, have the right, without discrimination, to equal protection by law, Koja said that the OSCE Mission in North Macedonia closely cooperates with the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination. It is of the utmost importance, he said, that the Commission receives all the necessary resources to be able to function effectively and that the implementation of its recommendations is also an important element in the fight against discrimination, and the public and private sectors should pay due attention to that. “The OSCE Mission dedicates its resources to support this institution in order to advance and develop further work in this area. The Mission strongly believes that an independent effective equality body will strengthen protection against discrimination and advance inclusive equality enabling the creation of a just society. Many challenges remain, such as lack of coordination between stakeholders and the national structure for equality, limited capacities and resources, low level of public awareness, especially among vulnerable groups, which also leads to insufficient reporting of cases of discrimination,” Koja said. Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi welcoming the participants from the equality bodies in SEE, note that discrimination is a challenge that every individual can face in every possible life situation - it can be in the role of a direct or indirect discriminator, or, on the other hand, to be discriminated. “Therefore, the role of the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, which was established by the Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination in 2020, is important, as an independent body that will work on prevention, protection and maintenance of equality, human rights and non-discrimination,” Xhaferi added. He added that we would all like to be part of a humane and just society in which no one would feel less valuable or less important and an insignificant part of society, but, unfortunately, he said, this denies the reality we see, and what we read and listen to every day. Igor Jadrovski, a member of the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, also addressed the two-day regional conference, who underlined that the cooperation of equality bodies from SEE by exchanging experiences and best practices is a key aspect in their strengthening in prevention and protection against discrimination. “I am confident that at this dynamic conference we will exchange valuable experiences and practices on three extremely important topics for equality bodies – their role in court proceedings, in strategic advocacy and shifting the burden of proof in anti-discrimination proceedings and in proceedings before the equality bodies,” Jadrovski said. The Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, in cooperation with and under the auspices of the OSCE Mission in Skopje, is organizing the 6th regional conference of equality bodies in Southeast Europe (SEE). Representatives of equality bodies of Albania, BiH, Kosovo, Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia attend the two-day conference, as well as representatives of other national institutions, organizations and experts working in the area of equality and non-discrimination, ambassadors and ministers.