By 
Zurab Kochladze
Valentin Cvetanoski, March 16, 2025
After a visit to North Macedonia, Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, has called on the government to “maintain its commitment to the human rights of the Roma community and take urgent action for a healthy environment for all”.
From April 22 to 25, 2025, Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, visited North Macedonia. The Commissioner was established in 1999 by the Council of Europe and has since served as an independent and impartial authority with the mission to promote awareness of and respect for human rights in 46 member states.
During his stay in the country, O’Flaherty met with different stakeholders, including Deputy Prime Minister Izet Medziti, other cabinet members, civil society, and delegations from international organisations. The visit was carried out as part of his mandate to assess and monitor the human rights situation in the member states. After the visit, he issued a statement, calling on the North Macedonian government “to maintain its commitment to the human rights of the Roma community and take urgent action for a healthy environment for all”.
The Commissioner commended the advancements in North Macedonia regarding Roma inclusion and equality. According to O’Flaherty, the government has taken crucial steps to address the situation, including the adoption of national strategies and action plans, the recognition of the Roma on the constitutional level, efforts to reduce statelessness, and improvement in education accessibility. Moreover, he welcomed the existence of an active Roma civil society in the country and the presence of representatives of the Roma community, especially women, within state institutions.
However, challenges remain. For example, in some parts of the country, Roma people continue to live in poor conditions in settlements because they fail to adopt urbanisation plans. The Commissioner also urged the government to raise awareness of Roma cultural identity, combat anti-Romaism in society, address police violence and ill-treatment in prisons targeted at Roma, and strengthen efforts to protect Roma children. Furthermore, he emphasised the importance of eliminating de facto segregation for Roma children in schools. The issue of Roma communities being disproportionately affected by environmental degradation was also brought to attention.
In general, the right to a healthy environment was another significant topic addressed by the Commissioner. He emphasised that the country still faces serious environmental issues, including air pollution, toxic landfills, and water pollution. Therefore, O’Flaherty called on the government to implement environmental laws more effectively to uphold the right to a healthy environment. He also urged the authorities to remove obstacles that prevent individuals and communities from defending their environmental rights through the judicial system. In addition, he encouraged the government to adopt the Law on Climate, which is still pending.
Finally, the Commissioner also addressed the issues, such as a lack of funding for civil society after cuts in U.S. financial aid. He called on both donors and the governments to ensure that non-governmental organizations are able to continue their important work. Strengthening the Ombudsman institution was another key recommendation made by the Commissioner for Human Rights
Sources and Further Readings
Mandate – Commissioner for Human Rights
Climate Governance in North Macedonia: Progress and Pitfalls
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