PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS: INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN NORTH MACEDONIA

North Macedonia’s accession negotiations are conditioned by the country’s progress on fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria. Respect for human rights, defined as one of the founding values of European Union, it is associated with the fundamental political criteria for full membership for every candidate state. In the Progress Report for 2022, European Commission raised the concerns that North Macedonia had made “limited progress in improving the rights of persons with disabilities”. Considering that the country since its independence ratified several international treaties on human rights and assumed obligation not only to guarantee but also to protect the fundamental human rights, in this paper will be analyzed: the national legal framework on the protection of the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities, national strategies on the rights of persons with disabilities, and national policies on the integration of persons with disabilities. The purpose of this study it is to analyze the responsibilities and commitment of the state authorities in providing equal rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities, especially focusing on the access of women with disability to the labor market and access of children and young people with disability to education. The research it is in-depth analysis and guided by two research questions: What are the responsibilities of North Macedonia as a candidate country in promoting and enforcing the rights of persons with disabilities? What have done North Macedonia for social inclusion of persons with disabilities.