UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations on the Combined Second to Fourth Periodic Reports of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (July 2016)

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued these concluding observations in July 2016. The Committee welcomes the state's ratification of various international human rights instruments, as well as adoption of national legislation. These concluding observations also set out a series of subjects of concern and recommendations. 

In paragraph 51 the Commission raises their concerns for the increasing number of people who use drugs, concerns in relation to the removal of national harm reduction programmes, criminal sanctions for possession of cannabis for personal use and the lack of clarity in relation to funding of programmes on drug prevention and harm reduction. The Committee recommends that the State take measures to reduce drug abuse, re-instate harm reduction measures, review national law setting out criminal sanctions for possession of drugs for personal use and ensure maintenance of the programmes regarding drug prevention and harm reduction initiated by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Citation: UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 'Concluding Observations on the Combined Second to Fourth Periodic Reports of the Former Yugoslav Republic Republic of Macedonia' (2016), E/C.12/MKD/CO/2-4