Skopje, 1 December 2021 (MIA) – Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jagoda Shahpaska met Wednesday with UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem and Alanna Armitage, UNFPA's Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia on the sidelines of the two-day Sofia conference on Europe’s demographic future. During the meeting, also attended by State Statistical Office head Apostol Simovski and chairwoman of the Safe Motherhood Committee, Ana Daneva Markova, Kanem and Armitage commended North Macedonia as being a regional leader in improving human rights, mainly those in relation to gender-based violence, gender equality, and also for organizing a successful population census and improving motherhood and newborn health, the Labor Ministry said. The Labor Ministry and the government, said Shahpaska, have been creating systemic policies and have been taking measures to prevent all forms of discrimination, improve gender equality, fight against gender-based violence and fully implement the Istanbul Convention. During the meeting, the participants agreed to expand and enhance cooperation with UNFPA as regards creation and implementation of demographic policies and exchange of experience with the countries in the region involving sexual reproductive health and rights, said the press release. UNFPA and the Bulgarian government co-organize the conference on demographic resilience and strengthening of the countries to respond to demographic changes in the region.