Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

List of issues in relation to the fifth periodic report of North Macedonia *

1.The State Party is invited to submit in writing the information requested below (preferably not exceeding 10,700 words) by 30 November 2025.

A.General information

2.In view of paragraphs 24 to 33 of the State Party report, please provide information on the impact of the training provided on the justiciability of the rights enshrined in the Covenant. Please also provide information on how the legislature was involved in the implementation of and follow-up to the Committee’s previous concluding observations and in the development of the fifth periodic report.

3.Please provide information on measures taken by the State Party with regard to the mitigation of climate change, including specific measures, and their impact, to meet the nationally determined contributions for reducing emissions that the State Party has set itself under the Paris Agreement. Please also provide information on the progress made in reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions and on targets that the State Party has set for further reductions. With respect to climate change adaptation policies and measures, please provide information on:

(a)How the State Party assesses the impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, in particular for marginalized and disadvantaged individuals and groups;

(b)Measures taken to strengthen preparedness for and responses to natural disasters, disaster risk reduction measures and measures taken to adopt a strategy to this end, with an adequate allocation of financial resources;

(c)Which institutions are tasked with the development and implementation of climate change adaptation measures and policies for slow-onset impacts in different areas, such as agriculture, housing and health, and how coordination among the institutions responsible for disaster preparedness and management is ensured.

4.Please provide information on the number of cases in which the provisions of the Covenant have been invoked before the State Party’s domestic courts, and examples thereof. Please provide information on the measures taken to improve the data-collection system, as mentioned in paragraph 10 of the State Party report, and their impact. Please also provide information on the impact of the measures taken concerning the institution of the Ombudsman, as mentioned in paragraphs 11 to 18 of the State Party report; on the allocation of sufficient human and financial resources to enable the Ombudsman’s Office to carry out its mandate effectively; and on how consistently the Ombudsman’s recommendations are considered and implemented.

5.Please provide information on the impact of the Law on Free Legal Assistance of 2019, mentioned in paragraphs 40 to 46 of the State Party report, on ensuring access to free legal aid, especially for disadvantaged people, including by indicating the number of applications for free legal assistance related to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, their outcome, and whether the resources allocated were sufficient to meet the demand for legal aid. In addition, please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to raise awareness among rights holders about their economic, social and cultural rights and the right to free legal aid.

B.Issues relating to the general provisions of the Covenant (arts. 1–5)

Maximum available resources (art. 2 (1))

6.Please provide updated information on the evolution of the following, covering the past 10 years:

(a)The proportion of the population living below the nationally defined poverty line;

(b)Levels of inequality, before and after taxes and transfers, if possible defined as the ratio between the total income of the richest 10 per cent of the population and the total income of the poorest 40 per cent and as the ratio between the assets owned by the richest 10 per cent of the population and the assets owned by the poorest 50 per cent;

(c)The economy, in particular through the annual variations of gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita and the level of public debt in proportion to GDP;

(d)The proportion of public revenue generated through taxes and as a percentage of GDP, the proportion of public revenue obtained through direct and indirect taxes, the corporate tax revenue rate and the percentage of total revenue generated from personal tax collected on the incomes of the richest 10 per cent of the population, as well as provide an evaluation of the amount of tax evasion and tax avoidance and the fiscal cost of the main tax benefits;

(e)Public expenditure as a percentage of GDP and, within total public expenditure, the proportion of the public budget allocated to social spending, including social security, food, water and sanitation, housing, health and education;

(f)Any fiscal policies adopted in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

7.Please provide information on legislative, administrative or other measures taken to ensure that businesses respect the economic, social and cultural rights of all persons and apply the principle of due diligence throughout their operations, including on measures taken to ensure victims’ access to effective remedies in the State Party.

8.Please provide information on measures taken in addition to those mentioned in paragraphs 87 to 122 of the State Party report, and their impact, to ensure accountability for cases of corruption, and to improve the capacity of the institutions dedicated to the fight against corruption.

Non-discrimination (art. 2 (2))

9.Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to increase the independence and improve the functioning of the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination. Please also provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to protect LGBTQI+ persons from discrimination, including when accessing healthcare, from bullying, from physical attacks and from stigmatization. In addition, please provide information on steps taken towards adopting legislation on legal gender recognition.

Equal rights of men and women (art. 3)

10.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to increase women’s labour participation, including in fields where they are underrepresented, and to narrow the gender pay gap, including by tackling the overrepresentation of women in the informal economy. Please provide information on the mechanisms in place to assess the impact of gender equality policies, in particular on marginalized groups, including women in rural areas and belonging to minorities.

C.Issues relating to the specific provisions of the Covenant (arts. 6–15)

Right to work (art. 6)

11.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to address unemployment rates and to guarantee access to the right to work, in particular for the most marginalized groups, including refugees, Roma persons, persons with disabilities, women, young persons and persons living in rural areas.

Right to just and favourable conditions of work (art. 7)

12.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to ensure:

(a)That the domestic labour legislation recently adopted was formulated in consultation with all concerned stakeholders and that it is in conformity with Covenant provisions and the State Party’s other international commitments;

(b)That the legislation on the minimum wage is effectively implemented. Please also provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to protect the rights to fair and favourable conditions of work, including for domestic workers and workers in the informal economy, and to promote the formalization of the informal sector, including with regard to agricultural work.

Trade union rights (art. 8)

13.Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact:

(a)To ensure that the right to form trade unions is not restricted by the fact that enterprise-level trade unions must obtain approval from a higher-level union to gain legal personality;

(b)To protect the right to strike by implementing additional legal safeguards against the possibility of the dismissal of workers taking part in the strike;

(c)To implement safeguards to protect trade union activities from external influence.

Right to social security (art. 9)

14.Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to ensure that the most disadvantaged and marginalized individuals, including persons living in rural areas and Roma persons, are fully protected under the social security system, and to streamline the application procedure for entitlement to social security benefits.

Protection of the family and children (art. 10)

15.Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to increase the rate of birth registration. Please also provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to implement the Committee’s previous recommendations regarding the Law on International and Temporary Protection, as well as information regarding the distinction between individuals with refugee status and those under subsidiary protection.

Right to an adequate standard of living (art. 11)

16.Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to reduce income inequality, including through reform of the tax system. Please also provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to ensure the accessibility and affordability of food. Please further provide information on the impact of the measures taken to tackle high malnutrition rates, especially among children, as mentioned in paragraph 164 of the State Party report. In addition, please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to ensure access to water and sanitation in rural areas.

17.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to provide affordable social housing for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and families, including Roma families, and to improve living conditions in informal settlements and collective centres. In addition, please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to guarantee security of tenure for all residents of informal settlements, including Roma, and to adopt a legal framework establishing procedures to be followed in the case of evictions.

Right to physical and mental health (art. 12)

18.Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to improve the quality of the healthcare system and increase the number of medical professionals, as mentioned in paragraphs 172 to 175 and 181 to 190 of the State Party report. Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to ensure the accessibility of healthcare services, including for Roma persons and for those living in rural areas. Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to ensure that healthcare services are adequate to the needs of, and accessible to, persons with disabilities, as mentioned in paragraphs 168 to 173 of the State Party report.

19.Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to ensure access to adequate healthcare services in the reception centre for foreign nationals in Gazi Baba, and to ensure that the legislative provisions guaranteeing the right to health for refugees are effectively implemented. Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to improve the affordability of healthcare, as mentioned in paragraphs 165 to 167, 177 to 180 and 207 of the State Party report, including through the improvement of the coverage of and benefits under the Health Insurance Fund.

20.With reference to paragraphs 216 to 221 of the State Party report, please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to address the shortage of gynaecologists and the inaccessibility of sexual and reproductive healthcare services in rural areas to Roma persons and to persons with disabilities. Please provide information on measures taken, and their impact, to ensure widespread access to modern contraceptives. Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to improve sexual and reproductive health education.

21.Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to reduce the number of drug users and implement harm reduction programmes for drug users, as mentioned in paragraphs 204, 223, 229 and 230 of the State Party report. In addition, please provide information on the existence of criminal sanctions for drug possession for personal consumption. Please also provide information on measures taken, in addition to those mentioned in paragraphs 212 to 214 of the State Party report, and their impact, to improve medical practices and living conditions in psychiatric hospitals.

Right to education (arts. 13 and 14)

22.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to ensure access to education and to improve school enrolment and retention rates, including for Roma children, children with disabilities, refugee and migrant children, girls, and children living in rural areas.

23.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to implement the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Elmazova and Others v. North Macedonia, regarding prevention of discrimination against and segregation of Roma children in the education system. In addition, please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to prevent discrimination, bullying and violence in schools, in particular against girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, children with disabilities, Roma children, and other disadvantaged groups and individuals.

Cultural rights (art. 15)

24.Please provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to increase the expenditure dedicated to research and development. Please also provide information on the measures taken, and their impact, to protect linguistic plurality and the possibility for children to gain an education in their mother tongue in accordance with the Ohrid Framework Agreement.