OSCE Mission to Skopje supports launch of NGO network on inter-ethnic relations

An NGO network aiming to enhance inter-communal relations in the municipality of Struga was launched on 14 March 2014, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

The launch event, organized by ten regional NGOs with diverse cultural, religious and social backgrounds, brought together more than 40 representatives from civil society, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and local institutions to discuss the development of a public-police partnership in the area.

“The inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups represented by their own community-based NGOs is a key element in providing equitable access to criminal justice and supporting crime prevention,” said Ismail Fert, Chief of the Police Development Unit at the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

A public pledge to “support the police in providing citizens of all ethnic, religious, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds with safety from any ethnic, cultural and religious exclusion; and to increase awareness of their rights and responsibilities” was signed by representatives of the NGO network and the Ministry.