the former Yugoslav Republic of MACEDONIA

Social Inclusion

The overall goal of the social inclusion programme is to support the country in its efforts to better target and include vulnerable individuals and groups at risk of exclusion in the socio-economic processes. Moreover, targeting the poorest and the most excluded is critical at this stage of national development, in light of repercussions of the global financial and economic crisis and country’s aspiration to converge to European Union socio-economic standards.

Social inclusion interventions are pursued through implementation of integrated and multi-prong programme approaches, aimed at empowering vulnerable groups as well as improving policies, systems and practices for developing capacities of the institutions. This approach contributes to fostering growth and more equitable distribution of development benefits among all citizens.

UNDP provides advisory support and technical assistance in three main areas: 
1) Social inclusion policy development and reform; 
2) Building national capacities to develop and implement programmes promoting social inclusion; and
3) Strengthening national capacities to collect, disseminate and use social statistics for analyzing and monitoring social inclusion.

UNDP has been focusing on development and implementation of active labour market policies, enhancing entrepreneurship capacities and private sector development for the poorest:
- Increasing employability and creating opportunities for the most vulnerable (including but not limited to the disabled, victims of domestic violence, Roma);
- Support to national institutions’ efforts in coordination of the training/retraining programmes as a method for increasing employability and enlarging chances of the unemployed for participation and inclusion in the labor market. This will support human capital development priorities under the EU Accession process.

UNDP also supports the Government in enhancing its efforts for promotion of gender equality and the gender mainstreaming concept in local policy development, capacities of gender machinery and the established Local Government Equal Opportunities Commissions. This will be achieved through a comprehensive capacity development programme and development and implementation of local action plans.

Along with other UN agencies and through a joint programme, UNDP has been supporting national systems to better address and respond to the issue of domestic violence. The support combines mobilization for action at the highest policy-making levels i.e. the Parliament and Government as well as at the grass-root community-based and civil society actors’ level. A comprehensive approach aims at mobilizing men as partners in ending domestic violence, the NGO community and the media to advocate for and contribute to changing stereotypes and conditions leading to gender inequality and gender-based violence.

In partnership with UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM and WHO, UNDP supports the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP) and other relevant national institutions to prepare country specific analyses of the status and challenges that the socially excluded and the vulnerable groups face with. Specifically, support to the MLSP in developing a Social Inclusion Strategy will provide a strategic framework to determine needed changes in the spheres of labour and employment, social inclusion of excluded groups and other interventions aiming towards the development of human capital and a more cohesive society.

 

Project Name	Start	End
Strengthening evidence-based policy processes	04.2008	03.2011
e-Accounting Programme	06.2005	06.2011
Self-employment 3	04.2009	03.2011
Strengthening National Capacities to Prevent Domestic Violence	12.2008	11.2011

UNDP and Ministry of Labour Present Final Results of Project for Support to Equal Opportunities Commissions at Local Level » 27.04.2010 The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized final presentation of the results achieved in the frames of the Project “Support to Women and Men Equal Opportunities Commissions at Local Government Units”. more»
UNDP, Ministry of Labour and Municipalities Together for Economic Empowerment of Domestic Violence Victims » 26.04.2010 The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, UNDP, the Association of Local Self-government Units (ZELS) and five pilot municipalities (Bitola, Tetovo, Kavadarci, Kumanovo and the City of Skopje) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for establishing close cooperation in the implementation of the programme “Economic Empowerment of Women Victims of Domestic Violence”. more»
Workshop for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking in Tearce » 23.03.2010 Upon the initiative of the Local Equal Opportunities Commission, the Municipality of Tearce has organized Capacity Development Workshop for prevention, and protection from domestic violence and human trafficking. The workshop is part of the Municipality’s project for fighting Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking, supported with a grant from UNDP. more»
Municipality of Gjorce Petrov Provides Full Support to Local Equal Opportunities Commission » 25.02.2010 As a result of the 28 trainings of Equal Opportunities Commissions’ members and Coordinators conducted in 2009, 60 Local Gender Equality Action Plans (LGEAP) were developed and updated. In total 20 municipalities have applied for the Call for Small Grants for Implementation of LGEAP announced in December 2009, through the UNDP project... more»
UN Organize Big Open Event: Together against Domestic Violence » 28.11.2009 On the occasion of the International Day for Elimination of the Violence against Women, and following extensive nationwide campaign for prevention of domestic violence, the UN agencies in the country together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy organized an open educational and awareness raising event in the center of the capital. more»
UN, Government and Partners Launch the Media Campaign for Prevention of Domestic Violence » 26.10.2009 “A Real Man Never Hits a Woman” is the slogan of the nationwide campaign “Together against Domestic Violence” that was launched today in Skopje. The agencies of the United Nations (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNIFEM and WHO) together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP) and the Ambassador of the Netherlands marked the start of the nationwide media campaign more»
Project Launch Conference: Support to Women and Men Equal Opportunities Commissions at Local Government Units » 04.06.2009 National Conference on equal opportunities at local self-government units was held Thursday, 4 June 2009 as launching event for the project “Support to Women and Men Equal Opportunities Commissions at Local Government Units”. Its objective was to highlight the importance of incorporating the gender mainstreaming concept at local level more»
New People-Centred Analyses Report - Launching and Presentation of Findings » 09.04.2009 The official launching and the presentation of the People-Centred Analyses Report findings, took place at the Holiday Inn Hotel, on Thursday. Implementing organization of the second issue is the South-East European University, in close cooperation and with the sponsorship and support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). more»
UNDP to Advocate against Family and Proxy Voting with TV Campaign » 02.03.2009 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the State Election Commission (SEC) within the project “One Voter – One Ballot: Addressing Proxy and Family Voting” on Monday, 2 March 2009, have launched a media campaign aimed at countrywide awareness raising on the inevitable need to prevent and mitigate the practices of proxy and family voting. more»
State Election Commission and UNDP Organize Seminar against Proxy Voting » 03.02.2009 In view of the forthcoming presidential and local elections scheduled for 22 March 2009, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the State Election Commission (SEC) have organized a High Level Seminar on “Interaction of Central and Local Governments and other Stakeholders in Combating Proxy and Family Voting”. more»