THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The process of establishing and positioning of the Republic of Macedonia in the international setting began to take place simultaneously with the Republic of Macedonia’s process of gaining independence in 1991 - through the establishment of contacts with, promotion of cooperation and acquiring membership of international organizations. The Republic of Macedonia became a member of the United Nations on April 7, 1993, and successively, it became a member of all specialized agencies, programs and funds in the UN system. Two years later, in 1995, the Republic of Macedonia became a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and of the Council of Europe, as well as of other relevant regional organizations and initiatives. Furthermore, the Republic of Macedonia became a member of the World Trade Organization (in 2003), CEFTA (in 2006) and a fully-fledged member of the Organization of the Francophonie (in 2006).

During this entire period, the Republic of Macedonia endeavored to promote itself as a responsible member of the international community, accepting the basic principles and goals stipulated by the UN Charter as central postulates forming the basis of the foreign policy of the Republic of Macedonia. On the regional level, the Republic of Macedonia invests efforts in the promotion of good neighborly relations, cooperation and sustainable development in the region to which it belongs. 

Aware of the fact that its accelerated and full Euro-Atlantic integration corresponds to its intensified participation in the activities, instruments and regimes of international organizations to which it belongs, and promoting, at the same time, the Euro-Atlantic values in this context, the Republic of Macedonia continuously works on the promotion of its profile at the multilateral level. The country makes consistent efforts to actively contribute to the implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals, to the fight against international terrorism and dealing with other changing threats and challenges to international peace and security at the beginning of the 21st century. The Republic of Macedonia is committed to effective multilateralism and strengthening the UN through its reformation, as well as to promoting cooperation with international organizations.

The best valorization of the contribution of the Republic of Macedonia to the strengthening of multilateralism, as a key instrument in the promotion of the fundamental values of peace, democracy, human rights and development, was the election of Dr. Srgjan Kerim for President of the 62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Macedonian Presidency with the General Assembly, which ended on September 15, 2008, contributed to the mobilization of an array of key topics within the UN, giving a special emphasis to climate changes and environmental management, to the reforms of the Organization’s management, the improvement of the UN system coherency – especially  in the field activities, the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the strategy for fight against terrorism, reinvigorating the General Assembly etc. 

As a result of the special focus that Dr. Kerim put on climate change issues, following the conclusion of the 62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Secretary General appointed Dr. Srgjan Kerim as his Special Envoy for Climate Changes, by which Dr. Kerim became the first Macedonian Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General. 

The Republic of Macedonia and the United Nations
 
The Republic of Macedonia became a member of the United Nations on April 7, 1993. Since then, the Republic of Macedonia has made an active contribution in all specialized agencies, programs and funds within UN system. The election of the Macedonian candidate for President of the 62nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly is considered by the Republic of Macedonia as a valorization of its engagement in the UN. With his presidency, a step forward was made towards the implementation of the specific provisions of the final 2005 Summit document, then an array of key topics within the UN were raised, and progress was made in renewing the focus on the need of dealing with the new global challenges, setting the climate change issue as a priority issue among all others on the UN agenda (terrorism, development etc.).

The Republic of Macedonia and the Council of Europe
 
The Republic of Macedonia became a member of the Council of Europe on November 9, 1995.
The Republic of Macedonia actively cooperates with all bodies of the Council of Europe (the CPT, the Venice Commission, the ECRI, the Commissioner for Human Rights etc.) and committedly honors the obligations deriving from the membership in the Council of Europe and from the Conventions of the Council of Europe to which the Republic of Macedonia has acceded (the CPT, the European Social Charter, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities etc.).
The Republic of Macedonia will be the chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in May-November, 2010.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is chaired by the ministers of foreign affairs of the member states. The chairmanship follows the rotation principle, changing every six months following the alphabetical order. The current chairing country is Spain. The Republic of Macedonia takes over the chairmanship on May 11, 2010 from Switzerland, turning it over to Turkey in November, the same year.

As part of its chairmanship, the Republic of Macedonia will design and implement a program of political priorities serving the purpose of strengthening the central role of the Council of Europe as the most important pan-European organization competent regarding human rights issues, democracy and the rule of law. The chairmanship of the Republic of Macedonia coincides with the marking of the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the European Human Rights Convention, which will be appropriately addressed in the program of the Republic of Macedonia. In addition, as part of the chairmanship, the Republic of Macedonia will also focus on the implementation of the Action Plan, adopted at the Third Summit of the Council of Europe. The goal of the Republic of Macedonia will be the design of a complex approach that would strike a balance between standards, monitoring obligations and standard implementation on one hand, and the political visibility of the Council of Europe, on the other. The Republic of Macedonia will also initiate a closer cooperation between the Council of Europe and the OSCE, the European Union and the European Commission.

The Republic of Macedonia and the OSCE
 
The Republic of Macedonia became a member of the OSCE on October 12, 1995.
The Republic of Macedonia plays an increasingly active role within the OSCE, which enlists the country in the group of countries, which have transformed themselves from assistance consumers into countries which generate stability and which are hence able to share positive experiences. In 2009, a Macedonian diplomat was appointed for the first time to the post of Head of Office of the OSCE. As of February 10, 2009, Ambassador Zekoli is in charge of the OSCE Office in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.   

The Republic of Macedonia and the Francophonie

The Republic of Macedonia became a fully-fledged member of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) at the Organization’s Summit held in Bucharest, Romania, on September 28, 2006. The obtaining of the highest status within the OIF was preceded by the country’s accession to the OIF as an observer country at the Hanoi, Vietnam Summit in 1997, as well as by the raising of the status into an associate member in Moncton, Canada in 1999.    

The Republic of Macedonia and Arms Control 
 
The Republic of Macedonia also enhances its activities in the field of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, arms control and disarmament, being fully cognizant of the key importance of collective and individual activities in this sphere and in the fields of fight against terrorism and maintenance of international security as a whole. The Republic of Macedonia is a party to major international instruments concerning non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as conventional weapons, and actively participates in the work of the international organizations working on these issues. 

The Republic of Macedonia and Human Rights

The protection and promotion of human rights remain one of the significant elements of the Macedonian foreign policy. The Republic of Macedonia is a party to the basic UN human rights conventions, cooperating closely with the committees established under these conventions. The Republic of Macedonia enhances its activities and its participation in the bodies of international organizations working in this field. Despite the fact that the Republic of Macedonia is not a member of the newly formed Human Rights Council, the country actively participates in the work of this body.