ÿWPC[ ³!ÁÈÛµ§ã·3La£›í‚X›ž$&ݼ팣Àv´•PÌÿŽ Í}-Ì/Ø)bP”™Ê:6_…­Tp1B'?|Ÿöé/¦¶´è\…BIVÆ{‰Ì{ï¾Ì°q2;;çÖ_® éä ²¿­;7‘ñlj­ôW8«gº±Š0õº%DÕyÔцûûV5¦JÉâôDÌÓp‡!í(Kaˆ7ÙÌÑ*¤ñ¸â1Þ%}©î·ëÕGá!ZßÔyž_NÂã`b÷‡ðhû2žØËÿù?ÚñáÏ™pºtâ]öRñV#\VP+úWÜ·¶T¾³fϲy&™y5)ys‹ÁÞëC´äÞ¿ôÆrá·¢»%¡6ξ¶ üb¶YèYÎ13%Ì„º"`ð†±Wrq‹ÚÌd7KÓÄÁC< 5Ãávœ`ƒgêÀpÌ©Q¯;/œK½[Z’.„"±ü5žÃƒ¤ø¶9´¡[Ò…Öb/=è;V“Þð)´M×nWêû"áÍDÂrµú¼)?¢ˆB÷Nj·I¡œ+/.3"\‹aˆ‘ÉÞü(£á£’¯ó‚i UˆÅˆå¥| Üè\;ä*Æ•gÕVëŧg.îÇó$åûE òïÜõ0ÁoJ¿ #Á¶UNw %Å 0:Ë^ w4)8 m:QNY˜HP LaserJet 4000 Series PSÈÙØÙÙØÈÙ0&Öd9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX(üœ$¡¡ÔUSUS.,Ôªn, —{m,Ä<Ÿ´ä08Ÿ3|xÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ Ý ƒüœ!ÝÔUSUS.,ÔÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÔ€¼t`»XXÔò òà@ëëìàTHE€FORMER€YUGOSLAV€REPUBLIC€OF€MACEDONIAó óˆÐ ° ÐÔ‡X0NX»¼t`ÔÌò òÓ  ÓÔ_ÔCERDÔ_Ô€€A/52/18€Ô_Ô(1997)ó óÔ_ÔÐ ªú ÐÌ512.€€The€Committee€considered€the€initial,€second€and€third€periodic€reports,€consolidated€into€oneÐ }Í Ðreport,€of€the€former€Yugoslav€Republic€of€Macedonia€(Ô_ÔCERDÔ_Ô/290/Add.2)€at€its€1226th€and€1227thÐ f ¶ Ðmeetings€(Ô_ÔCERDÔ_Ô/C/SR.1226€and€1227),€held€on€11€and€12€August€1997,€and,€at€its€1241st€meeting,Ð O Ÿ Ðheld€on€21€August€1997,€adopted€the€following€concluding€observations.Ð 8 ˆ ÐÌA.€€òòIntroductionóóÐ  Z  ÐÌ513.€€The€Committee€commends€the€State€party€on€the€quality€of€its€report€prepared€in€accordanceÐ Ü,  Ðwith€the€Committee's€guidelines.€€It€notes€with€appreciation€the€high-level€delegation€whichÐ Å  Ðpresented€the€report,€indicating€the€importance€attached€by€the€State€party€to€the€Convention.€€ItÐ ®þ  Ðfurther€notes€the€open€and€constructive€dialogue€with€representatives€of€the€State€party.€€TheÐ —ç  ÐCommittee€expresses€its€appreciation€to€the€delegation€of€the€State€party€for€the€additionalÐ €Ð  Ðinformation€that€it€provided€to€the€Committee€orally€and€in€writing.Ð i¹ ÐÌB.€€òòFactors€and€difficulties€impeding€the€implementation€of€the€ConventionóóÐ ;‹ ÐÌ514.€€It€is€recognized€that€the€State€party€has€experienced€considerable€economic€difficulties,€partlyÐ  ] Ðresulting€from€hostilities€in€the€Balkan€region,€which€have€had€a€negative€impact€on€the€enjoymentÐ öF Ðof€human€rights,€including€those€protected€by€the€Convention.Ð ß/ ÐÌC.€€òòPositive€aspectsóóÐ ± ÐÌ515.€€The€State€party€is€commended€for€the€many€legislative€acts€that€have€been€adopted€in€orderÐ ƒÓ Ðto€comply€with€the€provisions€of€the€Convention,€including€the€Act€on€Public€Information;€the€ActÐ l¼ Ðon€Telecommunications,€which€prohibits€the€use€of€mass€media€to€incite€national,€racial€or€religiousÐ U¥ Ðhatred€or€intolerance;€the€Act€on€Political€Parties,€which€prohibits€the€establishment€of€those€partiesÐ >Ž Ðwhose€aim€is€the€incitement€of€national,€racial€and€religious€hatred€and€intolerance;€and€the€Act€onÐ ' w ÐSocial€Organizations€and€Citizens'€Associations,€which€prohibits€activities€which€violate€humanÐ !` Ðfreedoms€and€rights€or€encourage€national,€racial€or€religious€hatred€or€intolerance.Ð ù!I  ÐÌ516.€€The€willingness€affirmed€by€representatives€of€the€State€party€during€the€oral€dialogue€to€makeÐ Ë#" Ðthe€declaration€under€article€14€of€the€Convention€and€to€consider€the€ratification€of€the€amendmentsÐ ´$ # Ðto€article€8,€paragraph€6,€of€the€Convention,€adopted€on€15€January€1992€at€the€Fourteenth€MeetingÐ %í $ Ðof€States€Parties€to€the€Convention,€is€welcomed.Ð †&Ö!% ÐÌD.€€òòPrincipal€subjects€of€concernóóÐ X(¨#' ÐÌ517.€€The€lack€of€statistical€information€on€the€invocation€of€the€various€protections€against€racialÐ **z%) Ðdiscrimination,€in€particular€those€referred€to€in€paragraph€515,€is€noted€with€concern.Ð +c&* ÐÌ518.€€It€is€noted€that€the€representation€of€various€ethnic€groups€in€the€judiciary,€Parliament€andÐ å,5(, Ðother€public€bodies€and€agencies€of€government€continues€to€be€below€their€respective€percentagesÐ Î-)- ÐÔ_Ôin€the€population.Ð ° ÐÌ519.€€With€respect€to€article€5€of€the€Convention,€the€lack€of€sufficient€information€on€theÐ ‚Ò Ðparticipation€of€ethnic€minorities€in€public€life€and€on€their€economic€and€social€situation,€especiallyÐ k» Ðwith€regard€to€access€to€employment,€health,€education€and€housing,€is€regretted.Ð T¤ ÐÌ520.€€Concern€is€expressed€at€the€impossibility€of€conducting€the€census€in€the€whole€territory€of€theÐ & v ÐState€party.Ð  _ ÐÌ521.€€Concern€is€also€expressed€over€the€low€levels€of€participation,€in€particular€in€secondary€andÐ á 1  Ðhigher€education,€of€certain€minorities,€notably€Roma€children€and€Albanian€girls€in€rural€areas.Ð Ê   ÐÌ522.€€With€regard€to€article€7€of€the€Convention,€concern€is€expressed€that€there€is€little€or€noÐ œì  Ðreference€to€the€Convention€in€human€rights€educational€programmes.Ð …Õ  ÐÌE.€€òòSuggestions€and€recommendationsóóÐ W§  ÐÌ523.€€More€information€is€requested€in€the€next€periodic€report€concerning€the€participation€of€theÐ )y Ðvarious€minorities€in€public€life€and€the€implementation€and€enjoyment€by€them€on€aÐ b Ðnon-discriminatory€basis€of€the€human€rights€contained€in€the€various€laws.Ð ûK ÐÌ524.€€The€Committee€encourages€the€State€party€to€continue€its€programmes€of€affirmative€actionÐ Í Ðin€order€to€increase€the€representation€of€the€ethnic€minorities€in€public€life;€including€the€civilÐ ¶ Ðservice,€army€and€police.Ð Ÿï ÐÌ525.€€Emphasizing€the€role€of€the€justice€system€in€eliminating€racial€discrimination,€the€CommitteeÐ qÁ Ðasks€to€be€provided€with€additional€information€on€whether€the€Convention€is€directly€applicableÐ Zª Ðbefore€the€domestic€courts,€on€the€effectiveness€of€remedies€in€cases€of€racial€discrimination,€on€theÐ C“ Ðnumber€of€complaints€of€racial€or€racially-motivated€offences€and€on€the€judicial€action€taken€onÐ ,| Ðthose€complaints€and€the€redress€or€compensation€awarded€to€victims.Ð e ÐÌ526.€€The€Committee€recommends€that€the€State€party€continue€its€efforts€to€facilitate€theÐ ç 7 Ðparticipation€of€different€ethnic€minorities€in€the€educational€system,€in€particular€at€the€secondaryÐ Ð!   Ðand€higher€educational€level,€and€to€provide€for€the€training€of€teachers€for€minority€languages€inÐ ¹" ! Ðpublic€establishments.Ð ¢#ò" ÐÌ527.€€The€Committee€suggests€that€the€State€party€consider€incorporating€the€Convention€into€itsÐ t%Ä $ Ðhuman€rights€programmes€in€school€curricula€with€a€view€to€promoting€the€prevention€of€racialÐ ]&­!% Ðdiscrimination.Ð F'–"& ÐÌ528.€€While€recommending€that€the€State€party€provide€greater€educational€and€cultural€opportunitiesÐ )h$( Ðto€the€Albanian€minority,€it€was€also€felt€that€that€minority€should€truly€see€its€future€as€lying€withinÐ *Q%) Ðthe€State€party.Ð ê*:&* ÐÌ529.€€The€Committee€recommends€that€that€State€party's€next€periodic€report,€due€on€17€SeptemberÐ ¼, (, Ð1998,€be€an€updating€report€and€that€it€address€all€the€points€raised€in€the€present€observations.Ô#†¼t`»XX0N³#Ô