The project Civil Society for Integration of Roma 2020, implemented by the Institute for Policy Research and Analysis – Romalitico, aims to contribute to civil society in monitoring and evaluating public policies deriving from the National Roma Strategy and National Action Plans. This Report brings together the findings, conclusions and recommendations arising from the monitoring of the priority areas of the National Strategy for Roma – Employment, Housing, Education and Health, as well as the specific areas of Discrimination, Roma Women and Culture.
The general conclusion is that the policies for the integration of Roma in the above areas for the period January – November 2019, have some positive developments, but the real change in terms of better quality of life of the Roma community is not yet visible. The positive developments of the interrelations are related to the increase in the budget for infrastructural projects in Roma settlements, providing temporary housing solution for homeless people, increasing the coverage for Roma in the active labor market measures,increasing scholarship coverage, reducing Roma infant mortality rates and the trend of passive job seekers to become active job seekers. In terms of employment there is increase in the registered unemployment of Roma, besides the fact that there is 1 percentage point increase in the coverage of Roma in the active labor market policies. The active labor market policies have to support Roma in getting employment or increasing their qualification. In terms of housing, municipalities neither urbanize the Roma settlements nor utilize the state funds for urbanization. The new law proposal on legalization will have negative impact on Roma and can put them in higher risk of eviction. In the area of health, the measure of elimination of co-payment for children at social risk has a positive impact, however, with respect to other measures and activities there is no significant change compared to 2018, while the number of Roma health mediators decreased and they are not yet systematized in the health system. Key challenges in the process of implementing the National Roma Strategy and Action Plans remain – reducing unemployment and transforming the informal economy into formal, urbanization of Roma settlements and legalization, the transition from primary to secondary education of Roma students, while in the field of health – the short life expectancy of Roma and the high infant mortality rate. The planned budget for 2019 is lower for 10% compared to 2018, however the budget realization is 74%, higher for 10 pp compared to 2018. It is expected that with the end of the fiscal year the budget realization will be around 85%.
Considering that these results of the NAP implementation and budget allocation need to accelerate to reach the 2020 indicators, it can be concluded that general policies in the country slow down the implementation of the Roma Strategy. The reason for this realization of the national action plans is due primarily to the political processes in the country, the presidential elections, NATO membership and the EU accession negotiations date.
The shadow report assessed the level of NAP implementation in the priority areas of the relevant line ministries and evaluated the measures implemented in contributing to the social inclusion of Roma. The report covers the period January – November 2019. As there are significant delays in the publishing of the official report on the implementation of the Roma Strategy prepared by the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia this report fills in the gaps and taking more critical perspectives on its implementation. In preparation of this report, a methodology for monitoring the priority areas – employment, education, housing and health developed in 2016 was applied as in the previous reports. The methodology involves the collection and analysis of primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected through interviews with representatives of the competent NCB member institutions as well as through information collected through the RIPC.
