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The FAO-led 2020 food security and nutrition report for Europe and Central Asia elaborates on the costs of a healthy diet
Affordable healthy diets can trigger positive development in nutrition, sustainability
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The FAO-led 2020 food security and nutrition report for Europe and Central Asia elaborates on the costs of a healthy diet
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26 July 2021
Statement from the UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia, Rossana Dudziak, on Ohrid
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01 July 2021
The missing piece of the puzzle: the opening of Shar Mountain National Park creates one of the largest transboundary protected areas in Europe
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The Sustainable Development Goals in North Macedonia
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in North Macedonia:
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12 May 2021
The FAO-led 2020 food security and nutrition report for Europe and Central Asia elaborates on the costs of a healthy diet
12 May 2021, Budapest, Hungary – Although severe hunger has not been a major issue in Europe and Central Asia in the past 20 years, the region is in part facing an increase of moderate food insecurity – understood as irregular access to nutritious and sufficient food –, while also dealing with the widespread rapid growth of obesity, challenging its ability to achieve food security and improved nutrition, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2.
Lowering the costs of healthy diets can be crucial to achieving better nutrition and sustainability.
According to the Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed serious threats to food security and nutrition, especially for low-income and vulnerable populations in the region.
The annual report, produced jointly by FAO, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), provides a comprehensive analysis of the topic, including all forms of malnutrition, current dietary patterns, and the costs of diets for individuals, society, and the planet.
Of particular concern in Europe and Central Asia overall is the rapidly worsening situation in some countries of Central Asia, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Caucasus, which is keeping the region as a whole from achieving the 2030 targets of the SDGs on the prevalence of severe and moderate food insecurity.
“The past 12 months have shown that our health and the functioning of our agrifood systems are fundamental – and that more effort is needed,” said Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative. “We all – including decision makers, the development community, civil society, academia, the private sector and individuals – have to do our part to achieve the Zero Hunger goal, food security and improved nutrition, leave no one behind and promote sustainable agriculture.”
“Reducing hunger and malnutrition calls for a life-cycle approach, with special attention paid to children, adolescent girls, mothers and other vulnerable groups,” said John Aylieff, WFP Regional Director, Asia and the Pacific. “Zero Hunger is not just about having a belly full. It requires us to work across sectors – from agriculture and social protection to education and health – to ensure a healthy, balanced diet that’s also affordable and accessible for all.”
“Depending on their production and location, farmers in the region have been particularly hit by the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular in countries with economies in transition,” stressed Olga Algayerova, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNECE. “I call on governments to deploy adequate financial support to farmers. I also invite them to make full use of the UN trade facilitation and border-crossing procedures to keep borders open to facilitate the flow of goods, in particular essential products such as fresh food.”
Countries are making headway in the eradication of child stunting and wasting and low birth weight, but an opposite tendency is recorded for anaemia and exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life. In all countries of the region, gaps exist in the policy framework for the prevention of obesity and iron deficiency anaemia.
“UNICEF acknowledges the important breakthroughs countries have achieved concerning child stunting, wasting and low birth weight. However, without a redoubling of effort, the region will not meet 2025 and 2030 commitments on childhood obesity, anaemia and exclusive breastfeeding,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe. “Affordable, healthy diets are the basis of food security and nutrition outcomes, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerability of children’s nutrition. We have evidence to share with policymakers and food suppliers to take action to improve diets and mobilize health, education and social systems to scale up nutrition results for children.”
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is a major problem, even among children, with alarmingly high rates in most countries of the region. According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of overweight among children aged 6–9 is the highest in Mediterranean countries.
“People living with obesity have an increased risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes,” said Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “COVID-19 has also highlighted how fragile food systems can be – and how important it is to ensure that all people, no matter where and how they live, have access to safe, healthy and sustainable food. For the WHO European region, this is vital, given the alarming situation with obesity – a chronic complex disease in itself and a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases in the region.”
Additionally, the region is strongly affected by challenges imposed by the overconsumption of foods high in salt, fat and sugar and the underconsumption of fruits and vegetables. This calls for structural changes in food production and consumption within current food systems. WHO data show that unhealthy diets account for an estimated 86 percent of deaths and 77 percent of the disease burden in the region.
When developing national food security and nutrition strategies, FAO recommends that countries consider the environmental and climate impacts of the reference diet – which is currently not included – and increase education on that.
“The impacts of climate and environmental changes increasingly challenge current governance efforts,” said Milan Dacić, WMO Chief for Europe. “Policies are needed that support sustainable land management, reduce air pollution, ensure the supply of food for vulnerable populations, reduce crop loss and limit greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture. World Meteorological Organization activities on long-term monitoring; sharing of data, information and knowledge; and improved context-specific forecasts and analysis are vital support to alleviation of the impacts of climate and environmental changes.”
Fang also pointed at the disadvantageous composition of food available in the markets of Europe and Central Asia. As revealed in the regional overview, the availability of animal-based foods is above the world average, while the consumption of vegetables, pulses and fish is below the world average. Increased attention to a nutrition-sensitive agriculture facilitating healthy diets would be required. The European Green Deal and From Farm to Fork initiatives are policy frameworks that could facilitate change.
“The main conclusion is that despite good progress in diversifying and moving food availability in the right direction, there is a need to reorient food production and trade systems to enable healthy diets,” said Cheng Fang, an FAO economist and the main author of the report. “This may require additional efforts in consumer education and incentives to increase the consumption of fruits and fish, among other foods, to achieve sustainable and healthy nutrition strategies in these countries.”
The costs of healthy diets
Healthy diets are generally expensive, as they cost five times more, on average, than diets that cover only the basic energy needs through a starchy staple, according to the FAO report and based on the analysis of food cost/affordability data from 14 selected countries in Europe and Central Asia.
Cost drivers include trade, public expenditures and investment policies throughout agrifood supply chains. To counter their impacts, FAO and the World Food Programme advocate for nutrition-sensitive investments, targeted interventions and social protection policies and programmes to increase the affordability of healthy diets in a sustainable manner. To this end, the experience of Armenia with nutrition-sensitive social protection measures is presented in the report.
“The benefits of a nutritious diet affect not only individuals, but also the society as a whole,” said Fang, “and the costs of a nutritious diet are also borne by the entire society.”
Overall, the total costs associated with healthy diets are much lower than the costs of current consumption patterns. Were the population to shift to healthy diets, it is projected that direct and indirect health costs would be reduced up to 97 percent and the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 41–74 percent, according to data from projects in the examined countries. These benefits could potentially increase over time with innovation and the adoption of new technologies involving climate-smart agriculture.
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Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020
Launch of the 2020 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia SDG2: Zero Hunger
“The momentum created by the pandemic offers us a chance to rethink our agrifood systems, among other issues, and to set off a transformation for better food and nutrition at less cost to the environment. The UN Food Systems Summit convened this fall by the UN Secretary-General, gives us all an excellent opportunity to address this important issue,” said Rakhmanin.
Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020
Launch of the 2020 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia SDG2: Zero Hunger
“The momentum created by the pandemic offers us a chance to rethink our agrifood systems, among other issues, and to set off a transformation for better food and nutrition at less cost to the environment. The UN Food Systems Summit convened this fall by the UN Secretary-General, gives us all an excellent opportunity to address this important issue,” said Rakhmanin.
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17 March 2021
Land consolidation is the missing link for farmers in North Macedonia
Coming from a family with a long tradition in agriculture, Ljupco Angelovski, a young family farmer in the village of Egri, North Macedonia, wanted to modernise his farm when he took it over from his parents. His land, however, was fragmented into 15 tiny plots scattered in different locations.
“Time and fuel are wasted on traveling from field to field distant from each other, for plowing, fertilising, harvesting,” explains Ljupco. “Parcels like this can only be useful for subsistence farming.”
Ljupco’s farm in North Macedonia is losing out to other European countries because of excessive land fragmentation and small farm sizes.
“Competing in the EU market and the global economy is simply not possible with small plots of land,” says Ljupco. “There are no economies of scale.”
Why is the land so fragmented?
Land fragmentation is a common problem that dates back to the land reforms implemented when centrally-planned economies in Central and Eastern Europe moved to market ones. Large-scale state farms were broken up and agricultural land was given back to farmers.
Due to this, most farms in North Macedonia have an average size of less than two hectares, compared to the 16.6 hectares that is the average farm size in the European Union. Additionally, these two hectares are often fragmented into five or more smaller land parcels that are irregularly shaped and distant from one another, making them challenging to farm. This means that, through no fault of their own, family farmers have great difficulty in scaling up agricultural production and shifting towards commercial farming.
Most farms in North Macedonia have an average size of less than two hectares and are often fragmented into many smaller, irregularly shaped parcels that can be challenging to farm.
Ljupco and his wife Kathy, who run the farm together, knew that they needed to address these issues and implement modern techniques for their farm if they wanted to provide better opportunities for their family. Through awareness-raising activities by the EU Delegation, FAO and the Macedonian Ministry of Agriculture, Ljupco and Kathy heard about the MAINLAND project, an initiative focused on helping agricultural land owners and rural communities in North Macedonia to address the problem of land fragmentation. Implemented with FAO’s technical and financial assistance, the project aims to enlarge farm sizes and improve necessary agricultural infrastructure.
Through this project, Ljupco and Kathy’s land has been consolidated into three regularly-shaped parcels with an average size of two hectares, up from just 0.4 hectares beforehand. Ljupco and Kathy’s land also has better access to agricultural infrastructure, now that the project is improving agricultural roads, drainage and irrigation channels. These improvements, according to Ljupco, will increase land use efficiency and improve yields by 30 to 40 percent.
In Ljupco’s village, the land re-allotment plan was adopted by the qualified majority of landowners in January 2020 to become the first majority-based land consolidation project in North Macedonia. The land re-allotment plan for the village of Egri reduced the number of land parcels by almost fourfold from 874 plots to 260. The 214 landowners now have the same amount of land, but in regularly-shaped parcels that allow for better farming practices.
Now that their smaller land parcels have been consolidated into three manageable ones, Ljupco and his wife Kathy are upgrading to modern machinery to increase their farm productivity. ©FAO
Adopting modern means of production
With his land consolidated, Ljupco is thinking about the next step to make his farm more competitive: mechanisation. He and Kathy are upgrading their agricultural tools to modern machinery to further increase their farm productivity.
“Ever since I took over the farm from my father, I have recognised the need for modernisation, such as a tractor and connecting machines to facilitate our field work, reduce costs and be more productive. However, applying such modern equipment to the tiny and scattered parcels was simply impossible,” says Ljupco.
He is now preparing to apply for EU funding so he can invest in a modern seeder, pepper transplanting machine and a row mulcher.
With improved access to the irrigation network, Ljupco and Kathy are also hoping to expand their drip-irrigation system. This modernisation would save water, help them to vary their crops and improve their yields.
“Access to irrigation water will make us less vulnerable to climate change and also enable us to broaden our crop choices and increase the value of our products for the marketplace,” says Kathy. Wheat and maize account for some 50 percent of their agricultural production, but they also produce peppers and melon. She and Ljupco are looking into growing medical herbs and spices, including organic mint and saffron. They have attended several workshops on organic production and are exploring new opportunities to diversify their production and income.
With land consolidation, everyone stands to win because food security increases when farms flourish. With partners like the EU, FAO is improving family farmers’ land structure and access to infrastructure, technology and markets. This attracts youth to the sector and ensures our food systems are sustainable and fit for the future.
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17 March 2021
Information on quality, distribution and safety of COVID-19 should be taken from trusted, science-based sources only
Fake news and misinformation have been burgeoning in parallel with the spread of the novel coronavirus and they can be just as dangerous as the virus, especially now with the development and distribution of vaccines getting on the fast track. Now more than ever, it is essential for all people to receive information from trusted sources so that everyone can make a truly informed decision about their own health.
The infodemic is affecting public perception about the quality of vaccines as well as generating misunderstanding about the complex supply chains involved in producing and delivering vaccines.
Global Supply of COVID-19 vaccines does not match the demand at this time. Distribution of vaccines of the scale of the COVID-19 global vaccinations, is a logistical undertaking in itself. It was inevitable that there would be supply challenges for COVID-19 vaccines while we wait for global manufacturing to reach capacity.
“Vaccines are a critical new tool in the battle against COVID-19 and I understand that everyone is keen to benefit from this available global public good”, said Dr Jihane Tawilah, WHO Representative in North Macedonia. “While we wait for receiving the vaccine, let us not forget the available public health measures which will play a significant role in containing this pandemic”.
WHO in North Macedonia worked closely with the Ministry of Health on the country's COVID-19 vaccination readiness, including planning, development of the National COVID vaccination plan, prioritization, support to proper cold chain and training of medical and vaccinator staff.
“I can confirm that North Macedonia meets the WHO stated conditions for COVID -19 related vaccination,” says Dr Tawilah.
“There has been a lot of misinformation about the arrival of the COVAX vaccines. As COVAX partner in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, UNICEF confirms the government of North Macedonia has followed the global guidance from COVAX, has fulfilled all the criteria and has submitted the required documents as requested and needed within the deadlines. The Government has also made the payments on time,” said Patrizia Di Giovanni, UNICEF Representative. “While the first doses are expected to arrive in the country in the first half of April, the dates will be shared when definite information is received.”
COVID-19 related misinformation can have an immense toll for the country’s economic recovery too.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is an overwhelmingly complex global issue affecting everyone and it can be surpassed only if we all act together. In that spirit, the whole of the United Nations is involved in working with the Government in North Macedonia, in all aspects of the COVID-19 response and recovery and will continue to do so,” says Rossana Dudziak, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia.
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COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with UNICEF on the procurement of vaccine doses as well as freight, logistics and storage of COVID-19 vaccines, on behalf of global COVAX Facility.
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17 March 2021
North Macedonia’s achievements in land consolidation receives EU recognition
The 2020 European Commission Report on North Macedonia has recognized the advanced status of land consolidation in the country. This achievement is a result of the joint efforts of FAO, the European Union (EU), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy.
Since March 2017, through the ongoing project “Mainstreaming of the National Land Consolidation Programme’’ (or MAINLAND) funded by the EU, FAO is helping agricultural land owners and rural communities in North Macedonia to address land fragmentation and small farm sizes. The ultimate goal is to increase the competitiveness of farms, enhance rural livelihoods, and improve sustainability in the use of natural resources.
In two areas (Egri and Konce), land consolidation has already been piloted. Building on this experience, FAO and the European Union are assisting the Ministry to scale-up the National Land Consolidation Programme across the country and develop the technical and administrative expertise of the Ministry and other key public and private partners.
According to the report’s chapter on agriculture and rural development, in terms of EU accession requirements, North Macedonia remains moderately prepared, with advanced progress in structural reforms on land consolidation and agriculture cooperatives, and good progress in implementing the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development and the Farm Accountancy Data Network.
In its current National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Republic of North Macedonia recognizes land consolidation as a key structural reform instrument to address the existing excessive land fragmentation and improve agricultural productivity.
The MAINLAND project builds on earlier efforts of the FAO Technical Cooperation Project in North Macedonia from 2015 to 2017 that reviewed the national legal and institutional framework for land consolidation and provided recommendations to operationalize the National Land Consolidation Programme.
The adoption of the amended Law on Consolidation of Agricultural Land in May 2018 marked the first milestone of land consolidation work in North Macedonia. This created the enabling legal environment for cost effective and efficient implementation of land consolidation projects, necessary to ensure respect for legitimate tenure rights. The first voluntary and majority-based land consolidation plans in the villages of Konce and Egri followed in late 2019 and early 2020. The land consolidation plan in Egri includes 336 ha of agricultural area owned by 214 landowners, and resulted in an almost fourfold reduction in the number of land parcels (from 874 to 260) that are better shaped and allow for better farming practices. The area in Egri has also benefitted from agricultural infrastructure investments, such as roads, irrigation, and drainage systems.
Land consolidation is advancing in seven additional areas in North Macedonia, which are currently in the planning phase of land re-allotment, affecting at least 2 500 owners and a total around 3 000 ha of agricultural land.
“The advancement of land consolidation in North Macedonia, as recognized by the European Commission, confirms that the joint efforts of FAO, the European Union, and the Government of North Macedonia to mainstream and scale-up the National Land Consolidation Programme across the country have brought visible results,” said FAO land tenure officer Morten Hartvigsen. “This is an excellent example for successful land consolidation, also in an international perspective.”
The report is part of the European Commission’s 2020 Enlargement Package for the Western Balkans, which, together with its Economic and Investment Plan, provides an assessment of where the Republic of North Macedonia stands in implementing key political and economic reforms on its journey to become part of the European Union.
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08 March 2021
Empowering women and girls is crucial to ensure sustainable food security in the aftermath of COVID-19, say UN food agency heads ahead of International Women's Day
8 March 2021, Rome - Hunger and famine will persist and there will be unequal recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic unless more women in rural and urban areas hold leadership positions with increased decision-making power, say the heads of the three United Nations' food agencies ahead of their joint International Women's Day event on 8 March.
The event, co-organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), will focus global attention on the vital role that empowered female farmers, entrepreneurs and leaders need to play so that women can contribute on equal terms to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and in creating an environment to eliminate poverty, enhance productivity, and improve food security and nutrition.
"The world is home to more than 1.1 billion girls under the age of 18, who have the potential of becoming the largest generation of female leaders, entrepreneurs and change-makers ever seen for the better future. Yet, women and girls continue to face persistent structural constraints that prevent them from fully developing their potential and hinder their efforts of improving their lives as well as their households and communities," said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. "Women and girls can play a crucial role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in particular in transforming our agri-food systems. We all need to work together to spark the necessary changes to empower women and girls, particularly those in rural areas," he added.
"It is essential that women are not only in more leadership positions, but that they are consulted and listened to, and integrated in all spheres and stages of pandemic response and recovery," said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD. "Investing in rural women's leadership and involving them more in creating our post-COVID future is critical to ensure their perspectives and needs are adequately considered, so that we can build back better food systems where there is equal access to nutritious food and decent livelihoods."
"Women and girls make up half of our global community and it's time this was reflected in leadership positions at every level," said David Beasley, Executive Director of WFP. "We know from our work around the world that when women and girls have better access to information, resources and economic opportunities, and are free to make their own decisions, hunger rates fall and nutrition improves not only for themselves but also their families, communities and countries."
Women's leadership is particularly important in rural areas of developing countries, where the voices of the 1.7 billion women and girls who live there are often overlooked. Sixty percent of women in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa work in agriculture - yet they have less access to resources and services than men, including land, finance, training, inputs and equipment. In addition to their agricultural work, women are overburdened with domestic chores and caring for their families - roles that have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, women are more negatively affected by the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including losing livelihoods and experiencing decreases in their personal incomes.
Ensuring that women have a greater voice is not only a matter of gender equality. Women leaders can advocate for women to have better access to and control over assets and productive inputs, thus boosting their productivity and incomes, leading to food security and increasing their employment opportunities and real wages.
Research shows that if women farmers had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields by 20 to 30 percent and total agricultural output by 2.5 to 4 percent, lifting 100 to 150 million people out of hunger.
FAO works to strengthen rural women's engagement and leadership in agri-food systems. FAO also engages with farmers' organizations to ensure that rural women's voices are heard and promotes gender-transformative approaches to challenge unfair socio-cultural norms in rural communities. Moreover, FAO supports governments to adopt policies and strategies addressing the needs and aspirations of rural women and girls, enabling them to participate in decision-making and assume leadership positions. This also implies enhancing women's leadership skills and self-confidence and raising gender awareness within national and local institutions. Within the Organization, FAO has established a Women's Committee providing an inclusive, safe space that reflects the diverse and energetic nature of FAO's female workforce. The Organization also created incentives for career prospects for female staff and for achieving gender parity at all levels and across all job categories.
Since 2009, IFAD has implemented a ‘household methodologies' approach to reinforce the equal role and decision-making capacity of women within households, groups and communities. Evidence from Uganda, Rwanda, Kyrgyzstan and other countries has shown that women who take part in the programme take up leadership roles in their organizations and communities, and have a greater voice in decision-making in their households. This has led to greater agricultural productivity.
Food security and gender inequality are closely linked with disadvantages beginning at a young age. In many countries boys and girls have very different childhoods. Boys eat first, are given more food than their sisters, do less housework and marry later. For girls, marriage and not school work can dominate their childhoods. WFP's work in achieving gender equality begins at school where support or implementation of School Feeding programmes in more than 70 countries contributes to increased school attendance of girls. This provides them greater access to education, reduces the risk of child marriage and other forms of gender-based violence, and increases future livelihood and leadership opportunities for girls.
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Press Release
01 July 2021
The missing piece of the puzzle: the opening of Shar Mountain National Park creates one of the largest transboundary protected areas in Europe
Skopje, North Macedonia, 1 July 2021 – The creation of Shar Mountain National Park in North Macedonia means the final puzzle piece for one of the largest transboundary protected areas in Europe is now in place. With the approval of the new 627.05 square-kilometre national park, a transboundary protected area has now been established totaling around 2,400 square kilometres.
Illegal logging has until now plagued the mountain range, resulting in an increased frequency of flash floods; the new park, declared soon after World Environment Day 2021 and the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration on 5 June, places precious ecosystems and habitats under strict protection.
“Historic decisions such as the creation of Shar Mountain National Park can boost the health of nature that supports all life on Earth. Ecosystem restoration is also essential to slow or reverse species loss” said the United Nations Environment Programme’s Europe Director, Bruno Pozzi. “It has been a privilege for UNEP to be with North Macedonia on this journey. In the end, it is the citizens, through their representatives, who have agreed to protect one of their natural treasures.”
“This is Shara. This is our new national park. We’ve done it. We worked so hard. It has taken over 27 years. I’d like to say congratulations to everybody. This is going to create development, tourism, infrastructure. This is going to give us and the citizens living here an opportunity to come back to live here and work here. We’re proud of it. We want the world to know it,” said Naser Nuredini, Minister of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia.
After years of national debate, the Nature Division of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia has completed a broad consultation process. Different sectors of society, including hunters and environmental organisations, stepped up their efforts to consider each other’s needs and views and pave the way for a final agreement. A majority of 66 Members of Parliament voted yesterday evening at the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia in favour of the proclamation of the Shar Mountain National Park, writing a new green page in the history of their country.
“Here we don’t have factories or anything like that - only mountains. If Shar Mountain becomes a National Park, we hope for a better future. For us, the tourists and everybody,” Reshit Reshiti — a sheep farmer in the village of Veshala — said ahead of the vote. North Macedonia is a European biodiversity hotspot. Two-thirds iof the country’s plant species, including numerous endemic ones, are found in Shar Mountain. More than 70 species of medicinal plants alone are collected and used there. Barely fifty critically endangered Balkan lynx are estimated to remain in the country, but they are now among the animals that have the promise of a safer future. “Shara is home to an abundant share of all the biodiversity in North Macedonia. Here we can find animals like wolves, bears, lynxes, and foxes,” said Metodi Čilimanov, a professional mountain guide working in Shar Mountain. “Thanks to the nature, we also have Shar Mountain’s tea and tulips, as well as the wonderful saffron that grows here,” added Metodi showing a tattoo of the colourful flowers on his arm.
Shar Mountain National Park is divided into four zones with different levels of environmental protection. Only scientific research, traditional grazing and hiking on marked trails will be permitted in the strictest zone, which contains glacial lakes and peatlands and makes up around 25% of the territory. Hunting, the use of motorized vehicles, camping and the building of new houses will be banned there. Meanwhile, in the active management zone, which covers almost half of the park’s area and includes the most important forest ecosystems, economic activity that does not negatively affect nature protection will be allowed. For example, wood and stone constructions for visitors and the building of new grazing shelters is to be permitted, while motorized vehicles used by the National Park management body will be allowed to circulate. A further ‘zone for sustainable use’ covers 22% of Shar Mountain and contains infrastructure and settlements. The construction of major new infrastructure, such as ski lifts or hydropower plants, will be banned in the zone, yet camping can take place in certain locations, and visitor information centres can be built. A ‘buffer zone’ will furthermore exist around Popova Sapka Ski Resort, where measures must be taken to mitigate the resort’s environmental impact. More details of what is to be allowed in the park’s zones will be defined in the coming months. The area covered by the park includes 30 villages with a total of more than 26,000 inhabitants. A survey conducted in April 2021 found that 82% of people surveyed living in the Shar Mountains were in favour of the proclamation. The Park is expected to bring new opportunities in areas such as eco and ethno-tourism and cattle-breeding. Meanwhile, traditional products such as cheese, honey and tea, as well as musical folklore, could be further anchored in the mountains. “By proclaiming Shar Mountain as a National Park, we should keep this freedom and be able to protect all the values and beauties Shar Mountain has,” said Dursim Rushani, a horse keeper in the village of Bozovce. A UNEP project initiated in 2016 with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has contributed to the establishment of the Shar Mountain National Park. Under the project, a series of meetings were organized between park stakeholders, as part of a challenging process to find compromises on key issues. Valorization and socio-economic studies were furthermore conducted to identify drivers of environmental threats to the area and the opportunities a national park could create. Future rangers are now being trained to manage the park, while land degradation will be closely monitored.
The Convention on Biological Diversity is due to hold its fifteenth Conference of the Parties meeting in October in Kunming, China. The landmark meeting aims to set in motion a global movement to help countries halt and reverse land degradation. A new global biodiversity framework will be set, and is likely to include fresh targets on the proportion of national land area that should be protected.
A United Nations General Assembly resolution issued in April called on Member States to maintain and enhance the connectivity of habitats, including through increasing transboundary protected areas. North Macedonia is the latest to have offered the world a new national park that will connect wildlife beyond its borders. Further Resources Download photos and a package with broadcast-ready video footage and quotes to accompany media stories. NOTES TO EDITORS About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve global goals. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the UN Decade and it is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The UN Decade is building a strong, broad-based global movement to ramp up restoration and put the world on track for a sustainable future. That will include building political momentum for restoration as well as thousands of initiatives on the ground.
For more information, or to request interviews, please contact: Alejandro Laguna, Information Officer, UNEP Europe Office, +41 766910848, laguna@un.org
Mark Grassi, Information Assistant, UNEP Europe Office, +41 788750086 mark.grassi@un.org i Shar Planina field guidebook to mountain flowers, Natalija Melovska, Macedonian Ecological Society, p.14.
“Here we don’t have factories or anything like that - only mountains. If Shar Mountain becomes a National Park, we hope for a better future. For us, the tourists and everybody,” Reshit Reshiti — a sheep farmer in the village of Veshala — said ahead of the vote. North Macedonia is a European biodiversity hotspot. Two-thirds iof the country’s plant species, including numerous endemic ones, are found in Shar Mountain. More than 70 species of medicinal plants alone are collected and used there. Barely fifty critically endangered Balkan lynx are estimated to remain in the country, but they are now among the animals that have the promise of a safer future. “Shara is home to an abundant share of all the biodiversity in North Macedonia. Here we can find animals like wolves, bears, lynxes, and foxes,” said Metodi Čilimanov, a professional mountain guide working in Shar Mountain. “Thanks to the nature, we also have Shar Mountain’s tea and tulips, as well as the wonderful saffron that grows here,” added Metodi showing a tattoo of the colourful flowers on his arm.
Shar Mountain National Park is divided into four zones with different levels of environmental protection. Only scientific research, traditional grazing and hiking on marked trails will be permitted in the strictest zone, which contains glacial lakes and peatlands and makes up around 25% of the territory. Hunting, the use of motorized vehicles, camping and the building of new houses will be banned there. Meanwhile, in the active management zone, which covers almost half of the park’s area and includes the most important forest ecosystems, economic activity that does not negatively affect nature protection will be allowed. For example, wood and stone constructions for visitors and the building of new grazing shelters is to be permitted, while motorized vehicles used by the National Park management body will be allowed to circulate. A further ‘zone for sustainable use’ covers 22% of Shar Mountain and contains infrastructure and settlements. The construction of major new infrastructure, such as ski lifts or hydropower plants, will be banned in the zone, yet camping can take place in certain locations, and visitor information centres can be built. A ‘buffer zone’ will furthermore exist around Popova Sapka Ski Resort, where measures must be taken to mitigate the resort’s environmental impact. More details of what is to be allowed in the park’s zones will be defined in the coming months. The area covered by the park includes 30 villages with a total of more than 26,000 inhabitants. A survey conducted in April 2021 found that 82% of people surveyed living in the Shar Mountains were in favour of the proclamation. The Park is expected to bring new opportunities in areas such as eco and ethno-tourism and cattle-breeding. Meanwhile, traditional products such as cheese, honey and tea, as well as musical folklore, could be further anchored in the mountains. “By proclaiming Shar Mountain as a National Park, we should keep this freedom and be able to protect all the values and beauties Shar Mountain has,” said Dursim Rushani, a horse keeper in the village of Bozovce. A UNEP project initiated in 2016 with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has contributed to the establishment of the Shar Mountain National Park. Under the project, a series of meetings were organized between park stakeholders, as part of a challenging process to find compromises on key issues. Valorization and socio-economic studies were furthermore conducted to identify drivers of environmental threats to the area and the opportunities a national park could create. Future rangers are now being trained to manage the park, while land degradation will be closely monitored.
The Convention on Biological Diversity is due to hold its fifteenth Conference of the Parties meeting in October in Kunming, China. The landmark meeting aims to set in motion a global movement to help countries halt and reverse land degradation. A new global biodiversity framework will be set, and is likely to include fresh targets on the proportion of national land area that should be protected.
A United Nations General Assembly resolution issued in April called on Member States to maintain and enhance the connectivity of habitats, including through increasing transboundary protected areas. North Macedonia is the latest to have offered the world a new national park that will connect wildlife beyond its borders. Further Resources Download photos and a package with broadcast-ready video footage and quotes to accompany media stories. NOTES TO EDITORS About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve global goals. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the UN Decade and it is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The UN Decade is building a strong, broad-based global movement to ramp up restoration and put the world on track for a sustainable future. That will include building political momentum for restoration as well as thousands of initiatives on the ground.
For more information, or to request interviews, please contact: Alejandro Laguna, Information Officer, UNEP Europe Office, +41 766910848, laguna@un.org
Mark Grassi, Information Assistant, UNEP Europe Office, +41 788750086 mark.grassi@un.org i Shar Planina field guidebook to mountain flowers, Natalija Melovska, Macedonian Ecological Society, p.14.
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Press Release
24 June 2021
UNODC World Drug Report 2021: pandemic effects ramp up drug risks, as youth underestimate cannabis dangers
VIENNA, 24 June 2021 — Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the 2021 World Drug Report, released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The Report further noted that in the last 24 years cannabis potency had increased by as much as four times in parts of the world, even as the percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40 per cent, despite evidence that cannabis use is associated with a variety of health and other harms, especially among regular long-term users.
"Lower perception of drug use risks has been linked to higher rates of drug use, and the findings of UNODC’s 2021 World Drug Report highlight the need to close the gap between perception and reality to educate young people and safeguard public health,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly.
“The theme of this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is “Share facts on drugs. Save lives”, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the evidence base and raising public awareness, so that the international community, governments, civil society, families and youth can make informed decisions, better target efforts to prevent and treat drug use, and tackle world drug challenges.”
According to the Report, the percentage of Δ9-THC —the main psychoactive component in cannabis— has risen from around six per cent to more than 11 per cent in Europe between 2002-2019, and around four per cent to 16 per cent in the United States between 1995-2019, while the percentage of adolescents that perceived cannabis as harmful declined by 40 per cent in the United States and by 25 per cent in Europe.
Moreover, most countries have reported a rise in the use of cannabis during the pandemic. In surveys of health professionals across 77 countries, 42 per cent asserted that cannabis use had increased. A rise in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs has also been observed in the same period.
Drug Use Rising, but Science-Based Treatment More Available
Between 2010-2019 the number of people using drugs increased by 22 per cent, owing in part to global population growth. Based on demographic changes alone, current projections suggest an 11 per cent rise in the number of people who use drugs globally by 2030 -- and a marked increase of 40 per cent in Africa, due to its rapidly growing and young population.
According to the latest global estimates, about 5.5 per cent of the population aged between 15 and 64 years have used drugs at least once in the past year, while 36.3 million people, or 13 per cent of the total number of persons who use drugs, suffer from drug use disorders.
Globally, over 11 million people are estimated to inject drugs, half of whom are living with Hepatitis C. Opioids continue to account for the largest burden of disease attributed to drug use.
The two pharmaceutical opioids most commonly used to treat people with opioid use disorders, methadone and buprenorphine, have become increasingly accessible over the past two decades. The amount available for medical use has increased six-fold since 1999, from 557 million daily doses to 3,317 million by 2019, indicating that science-based pharmacological treatment is more available now than in the past.
The Dark Web
Drug markets on the dark web only emerged a decade ago but major ones are now worth at least US$ 315 million in annual sales. Although this is just a fraction of overall drug sales, the trend is upwards with a fourfold increase between 2011 to mid-2017 and mid-2017 to 2020.
Rapid technological innovation, combined with the agility and adaptability of those using new platforms to sell drugs and other substances, is likely to usher in a globalized market where all drugs are more available and accessible everywhere. This, in turn, could trigger accelerated changes in patterns of drug use and entail public health implications, according to the Report.
The Drug Market Rebounds and Shifts
The new report shows that drug markets have swiftly resumed operations after the initial disruption at the onset of the pandemic; a burst that has triggered or accelerated certain pre-existing trafficking dynamics across the global drug market. Among these are: increasingly larger shipments of illicit drugs, a rise in the frequency of overland and water-way routes used for trafficking, greater use of private planes for the purpose of drug trafficking, and an upsurge in the use of contactless methods to deliver drugs to end-consumers.
The resilience of drug markets during the pandemic has demonstrated once again traffickers’ ability to adapt quickly to changed environments and circumstances.
The Report also noted that cocaine supply chains to Europe are diversifying, pushing prices down and quality up and thereby threatening Europe with a further expansion of the cocaine market. This is likely to widen the potential harm caused by the drug in the region.
The number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) emerging on the global market fell from 163 in 2013 to 71 in 2019. This reflects trends in North America, Europe and Asia. The findings suggest national and international control systems have succeeded in limiting the spread of NPS in high income countries, where NPS first emerged a decade ago.
Drug Risks, New Developments Spurred by Pandemic
COVID-19 has triggered innovation and adaptation in drug prevention and treatment services through more flexible models of service delivery. Many countries have introduced or expanded telemedicine services due to the pandemic, which for drug users means that healthcare workers can now offer counselling or initial assessments over the telephone and use electronic systems to prescribe controlled substances.
While the impact of COVID-19 on drug challenges is not yet fully known, the analysis suggests that the pandemic has brought increasing economic hardship that is likely to make illicit drug cultivation more appealing to fragile rural communities. The social impact of the pandemic –driving a rise in inequality, poverty, and mental health conditions particularly among already vulnerable populations-- represent factors that could push more people into drug use.
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The 2021 World Drug Report and further content is available here: https://wdr.unodc.org/
The 2021 World Drug Report provides a global overview of the supply and demand of opiates, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances (NPS), as well as their impact on health, taking into account the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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For further information and interview requests, please contact:
Brian Hansford
Chief, UNODC Advocacy Section
Phone: (+43-699) 1458-3225
Email: brian.hansford@un.org
Phone: (+43-699) 1458-3225
Email: brian.hansford@un.org
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Press Release
28 May 2021
UNODC supports practitioners in South Eastern Europe and Italy in addressing drug use disorders among youths
17-24 May 2021, online: UNODC organized a regional capacity development workshop on “Treatnet Family: Elements of Family Based Treatment for Youths with Drug Use Disorders including in Contact with the Criminal Justice System: Creating Societies Resilient to Drugs and Crime” for practitioners in South Eastern Europe and Italy with the kind support of the Government of Italy.
Adolescence is a time when an individual pattern of biopsychosocial risk and protective factors might increase or reduce vulnerability for the initiation of substance use or involvement in delinquency. Family can be both a risk and a protective factor and Treatnet Family is designed to enhance and strengthen the protective potential of family interactions in families with adolescents using substances including drugs. Treatnet Family is a science-informed training package on elements of family therapy, intended to support practitioners in the health, social and criminal justice sectors who work with youths and their families in resource limited settings, including those in contact with the criminal justice system. Treatnet Family is part of UNODC’s overall Treatnet training package for the treatment of drug use disorders and the initial development was supported by the government of Japan. Implementation has previously shown positive effects in reducing substance use, improving family functioning and mental health.
“Human connection is the opposite of addiction” could have been the motto of the UNODC Treatnet Family workshop with countries from South Eastern Europe and Italy: 35 practitioners from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, working with adolescents with substance use problems in their daily practice, joined the online meeting and in a participatory way enhanced their knowledge and skills on addressing issues related to drug use disorders among youths and related problems associated with family settings. The Treatnet Family trainers Molly Bobek and Hendrik Roozen in this workshop are experienced family therapies and trainers.
Treatnet Family focused on theoretical foundations and core assumptions of family therapy, the spectrum of substance use and substance use disorders and mostly on family therapy core strategies such as reframing and the phases of family therapy work. The five-day online workshop provided ample opportunity for exchange between professionals and to discuss ways to address drug use disorders, particularly among youth, as well as associated challenges.
Participating substance use disorder treatment professionals from the region enhanced their understanding of substance use problems in a systemic perspective and in various role plays learnt to help families break negative cycles in their interactions and instead explore new ways of more supportive interactions and taking care of each other. A practical example of a perspective change and challenging gridlocked family interactions is captured in the phrase “Catch your child doing something nice” instead of looking out for a problem behavior. The event provided the opportunity for exchange and mutual support also at the regional level despite language barriers: the training was supported by simultaneous interpretation into seven languages.
When presenting their follow-up plans, many practitioners indicated their interest to support further expansion of substance use treatment services for adolescents, including through elements of family therapy, in their countries.
For more information:
UNODC Treatnet Family Brochure
UNODC Treatnet Training Package
UNODC Treatnet Family Feasibility Study Report (Indonesia)
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Press Release
21 May 2021
Joint UN support to advance the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) implementation
Skopje, 21 May, 2021 – An induction training on cross-cutting approaches and preconditions for disability inclusive development in North Macedonia that started this week marks the launch of a new joint United Nations (UN) programme to advance the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) implementation and improve disability inclusive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This joint programme, funded by the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Multi-Partner Trust Fund (UNPRPD MPTF), is a unique collaboration that brings together UN entities, governments, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), and broader civil society to advance the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and disability inclusive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Disability inclusion in North Macedonia has gained traction since the CRPD ratification and its Optional Protocol in 2011. Changes in legislation to make schools fully inclusive, introduction of a new assessment model, closure of large-scale institutions for children without parental care and shifts in attitudes towards disability and inclusion are some of the results achieved since the country ratified the Convention. The additional progress with deinstitutionalization, made possible with previous UNPRPD support, revealed the complexity, gaps and opportunities for scaling up CRPD implementation and disability inclusive development. The joint programme and the multi-sector collaboration also improve the awareness, accessibility and services delivery in the field of sexual and reproductive health and services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, especially sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancies among women and girls with disabilities.
The Government remains committed to equality and inclusion, including persons with disabilities. Capitalizing on the progress made, the joint programme aims to accelerate and deepen systemic reforms and give effect to the preconditions necessary for disability inclusion into policies, programs and services that are aligned with international norms and standards. Developed in close consultation with the representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities, the Government, UN entities, international community and services providers for persons with disabilities, the programme will focus on:
advancing CRPD implementation at the country level by focusing on the preconditions for disability inclusion across sectors, translating these into concrete policies, programs, and / or services which lead to systemic changes through a cohesive, inter-sectoral approach.
improving and increasing the implementation of disability inclusive SDGs at the country level by providing fundamental support to the UN’s collective response to the SDGs to address national priorities and gaps concerning persons with disabilities in national planning.
The programme, which is one of 26 similar interventions supported globally by UNPRPD during this funding round, consists of a preparatory phase (an induction training, country situational analysis and a full-fledged project proposal development) and a project implementation phase.
“Through the activities of OHCHR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, and other UN entities, the UN has supported the government and national partners in several ways, including the process of deinstitutionalization and reintegration in society of residents in the Institution Banja Bansko, the development of local models for adapted support services for people with disabilities, the development of an inclusive education system nationwide, the development of foster care standards, the development of employment and occupational support services as well as tailor-made support to enable access to active labor market measures for people with disabilities, and sensitization and capacity building on the CRPD” said Rossana Dudziak, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia. “The UN will continue supporting systemic and comprehensive reforms and measures to make a real shift towards substantive and inclusive equality for people with disability. And this new UN joint programme will serve this objective.”
“The implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is integral to the development of inclusive societies that leave no one behind. That is why UNDP has been working to provide people with disabilities with the opportunities they need to participate in society just like anyone else, with a particular focus on integrating into the labour market and pursuing fulfilling careers. Through this joint programme we hope to accelerate the process of embedding such opportunities in national policies and services so that we can sustain and build on the progress we’ve made,” said Narine Sahakyan, UNDP’s Resident Representative.
“People with disabilities carry the promise of happy, meaningful lives, of vital community participation, and of making contributions to build inclusive and sustainable societies. However, a society cannot be equitable unless all children and adults are included, and children and adults with disabilities cannot be included unless the environment around them changes to support their participation. Having led cross-sectoral work to supporting inclusion of children with disabilities, UNICEF is pleased to be leading the work in the inception phase of this joint UN programme”, said Patrizia Di Giovanni, UNICEF Representative.
“As the motto of the CRPD suggests “Nothing for us without us”, UNFPA is pledged to give equal opportunities to all, especially the women and girls, the ones that are the most left behind, to foster the full enjoyment of healthy live life, free of discrimination and violence of any kind. With this joint program, we will continue to support development of accessible and inclusive services delivery in the field of sexual and reproductive health and services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and that with the initial training and the situational analysis will provide good basis for addressing the issue on data collection”, said Afrodita Shalja-Plavjanska, UNFPA Head of Office in North Macedonia.
“Inclusive societies are based on equality, equity and parity, where all women and men are represented equally in all spheres of public and political life. We at UN Women, hope that this joint programme will contribute to breaking the multisectional and intersectional barriers that women and girls with disabilities for ease of reference face, further tackled through structural change, with their rights and perspectives considered and promoted”, said Vesna Ivanovikj – Castarede, the Head of UN Women Office.
The preparatory phase is fully supported by the UNPRPD Fund (US$100,000). Phase two of preparatory joint programme activities, the country situational analysis, will bring better understanding of contextual factors affecting CRPD and SDGs implementation and the preconditions for disability inclusion, and will contribute to ensuring that the joint programme developed in phase three for implementation is tailored to addressing national needs and challenges.
This joint programme is possible thanks to the contributions to the UNPRPD Fund by the governments Australia, Cyprus, Finland, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
More info on: http://www.unprpd.org/
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Press Release
27 January 2021
UNODC and North Macedonia seal cooperation on enhanced border control in South Eastern Europe
26 January 2020, Skopje, North Macedonia/online: According to reports of the UN, the EU and some of the regional organizations, the Western Balkans continue to face serious challenges from criminal networks engaged in the trafficking of controlled substances, firearms and persons, the smuggling of migrants, illicit financial flows, corruption, terrorism, and related threats. In part, this is to do with the region’s location as it constitutes the shortest corridor in the world between source and destination countries for heroin, and a prominent route from countries experiencing war and instability and European states that may offer international protection. These threats are interconnected as many of these crimes are being committed by specific organized crime groups that have diversified their operations over time and rely on land, air and maritime routes to conduct their criminal activities.
Against this backdrop, in January 2020 UNODC launched an EU-UNODC joint action on promoting rule of law and good governance through targeted border control measures at ports and airports, funded by the European Union and aimed at addressing all forms of trafficking and supporting the national and regional capacities to tackle this threat. The initiative is supporting more effective and coordinated responses to illicit trafficking at seaports, land border crossings and international airports in the Western Balkans to fight organized crime, namely in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo under UNSCR 1244.
The action is implemented through the cooperation with the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP) and the UNODC-WCO-INTERPOL Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) with the UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, UNODC continued the delivery of its activities and consultations with the authorities in the respective countries and jurisdictions to establish the necessary legal frameworks for the implementation of the action.
In North Macedonia, the Government represented by the Ministry of Interior and UNODC formally agreed to pursue cooperation in the area of enhanced border control in the framework of the EU-UNODC initiative by signing a joint Letter of Agreement (LoA), which stipulates that both entities agree on the implementation of the AIRCOP and the CCP in North Macedonia and in particular on the establishment of a nationally owned airport inter-agency group that will consist of a CCP Air Cargo Control Unit (ACCU) and an AIRCOP Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) at the Skopje International Airport.
The LoA was signed by Mr. Oliver Spasovski, the Minister of Interior of North Macedonia and Mr. John Brandolino, Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs of UNODC in the presence of Mr. Ljupcho Nikolovski, the Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia and Mr. Saso Tasevski, Director of Public Security Bureau of North Macedonia.
During the ceremony, the signees underlined the importance of such a commitment in the fight against cross-border movement of illicit goods and organized crime. The Minister of Interior expressed appreciation to UNODC for supporting the Government agencies through capacity building and stated that the LoA “reinforces the architecture of the fight against organized crime” in the country while the Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs reiterated UNODC’s readiness to support to North Macedonia in addressing cross-border illicit activity.
The signature of the LoA further supports the implementation of the UN Conventions on drugs and crime and the EU Acquis, notably Chapters 23 and 24 addressing serious organized crime, rule of law, good governance and security. This initiative improves effectiveness and develops synergies between law enforcement actors at the national, regional and international levels and builds bridges between various thematic areas, as well as between the Western Balkans and other regions, improving the security situation in the Western Balkans and Europe as a whole.
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Latest Resources
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