Source description last updated: 3 January 2022

In brief: The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia, also known as the Macedonian Helsinki Committee (MHC), is a national non-governmental organisation that works to promote and protect human rights and civic freedoms.

Coverage on ecoi.net:

Reports, annual reports, monthly (or bi-monthly or quarterly) reports

Covered monthly on ecoi.net, for North Macedonia.

Mission/Mandate/Objectives:

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia (MHC) is a “civic association registered in 1994.” (MHC website: About us, undated)

The MHC’s vision is “a society in which all people can enjoy and exercise their fundamental rights and freedoms and enjoy protection in cases of infringement or limitation of such rights and freedoms.”

Its mission is “to protect and promote the human rights and freedoms guaranteed

with the Constitution of RM and the international instruments on civil, political, social, economic and

cultural rights, including the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, as well as to create democratic conditions for

enjoyment of such rights and freedoms based on the rule of law.” (MHC: Strategy of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Macedonia 2018-2020, 20 April 2018, p. 1)

 

“The Committee monitors the situation with human rights, provides legal assistance, co-operates with other organizations and state bodies for the purpose of improving the promotion, respect and protection of human rights and freedoms.” (MHC website: About us, undated)

Alongside its other activities, the Committee produces monthly, annual and special reports as well as analyses and other specific documents relating to the human rights situation (MHC website: About us, undated). It monitors and reports on the human rights situation both within Macedonia and abroad. (MHC: Statute, undated, Article 5)

Funding:

According to its statutes, the MHC is “financed by projects, donations, membership fees, own and other resources” (MHC: Statute, undated, Article 1). Donors providing funding for projects of the MHC include the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Foundation Open Society–Macedonia. (MHC: Projects, undated)

Scope of reporting:

Geographic focus: North Macedonia and neighbouring countries

Thematic focus: Human rights, civic freedoms, democracy, rule of law, civil society, refugees and IDPs

Methodology:

MHC reports may be based on the organisation’s monitoring of relevant court proceedings (see, for example, MHC: Monthly Report on Human Rights in the Republic of North Macedonia – May 2019, June 2019, sections “Judicial Monitoring” and "Labour rights") and reports about alleged human rights violations submitted by individuals to the MHC (see, for example, MHC: Monthly Report on Human Rights in the Republic of North Macedonia – May 2019, June 2019, section “Recognition of all Forms of Domestic Violence”) or other institutions (see, for example, MHC: Monthly Report on Human Rights in the Republic of North Macedonia – May 2019, June 2019, section “Hate crime”). Data on cases of hate speech is gathered through the MHC’s hate speech monitoring platform „Govor na omraza” (“hate speech”) (see, for example, MHC: Monthly Report on Human Rights in the Republic of North Macedonia – May 2019, June 2019, section “Hate Speech”), which is run with financial support from the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) (Govor na omraza: Homepage, undated).

Languages of publication:

English, Albanian, Macedonian

All links accessed 3 January 2022

Methodological note:

ecoi.net's source descriptions contain background information on an organisation’s mission & objective, funding and reporting methodology, as well as on how we cover the source. The descriptions were prepared after researching publicly accessible information within time constraints. Most information contained in a source description was taken from the source itself. The aim is to provide a brief introduction to the sources covered regularly, offering information on relevant aspects in one place in a systematic manner.