Coalition against discrimination Side by side – different, but equal    On 9 December 2007 in the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, before 10 December, the Human Rights Day, a few civil society organizations held a press conference where a common initiative against discrimination was promoted “Side by side – different, but equal”. The goals of this initiative are to strengthen the awareness of non-discrimination and the concept of equal opportunities, passing a general law on non-discrimination and forming an independent commission/body for human rights protection. In Macedonia there is not a general law on antidiscrimination. This issue has not been regulated nor clearly arranged in the laws on public services, such as: health protection, education, social security and other services and there are provisions contrary to the international agreements. Approaching the EU, Macedonia is obliged to pass a general law on antidiscrimination. Macedonia has a Law on women and men’s equality and initiatives, such as the Law on handicapped people’s rights, which is in parliamentary procedure. Macedonia has legislation (Law on labor relations) which bans discrimination during employment and at work, on the basis of: race and skin color; sex; age; health condition and disability; religious, political and other views, membership in trade unions; national (ethnic) origin; social origin, family status and owned property, sex orientation or any other personal conditions. These regulations have been accorded with the EU legislation. Macedonia does not have an independent body for protection against discrimination. Victims of discrimination in the public sector can address the Ombudsman. Victims of discrimination can ask for court protection (within regular courts) or to submit an initiative to the Constitutional Court (in cases of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, nationality, social or political basis) and they can also be supported by a civil society organization. The state has obliged (with a national program) to pass general legislation to antidiscrimination by 2009. Civil society organizations ask for a national strategy and general legislation to antidiscrimination to be passed in 2008 and an independent commission for human rights to be formed by 2009. The initiative, among the others, involves: Polio plus, the Center for Human Rights and Conflicts Resolution, Mesecina – Gostivar, the Association for Democratic Initiatives – Gostivar, Medjashi, Macedonian Center for Women’s Rights, HOPS, MCIC.   More information on: www.ednakvi.org.mk.