Skopje, 30 January 2026 (MIA) — To improve journalists' safety and media freedom, the Ministry of Interior has started a procedure for forming a national committee for the protection of journalists, the MoI said in a press release Friday.

According to the release, the committee will improve coordination between state institutions, media organizations and civil society; it will monitor the safety of journalists; it will develop a national action plan for the protection of journalists in accordance with European standards; and it will support the implementation of the Council of Europe's "Journalists Matter" campaign nationwide.

By promoting a safe working environment for journalists and media workers, the committee should also strengthen democracy, the rule of law and the country's European perspective.

The committee is also expected to increase trust between the media community and state institutions as well as boost the country's world ranking for its press freedom environment.

"Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are fundamental democratic values ​​guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, the European Convention on Human Rights and international standards," the release said.

It also recalled that journalists have a key role in informing the public and, through performing their professional duties, they contribute to institutional accountability, the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

The Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with the Journalists Association of Macedonia, has been maintaining a registry of attacks on journalists for several years, publicly available on the website of the Ministry of Interior. 

They have also developed a manual for the safety of journalists and regularly conduct workshops to increase cooperation between the police and journalists, build mutual trust and understanding as well as improve reporting on sensitive topics. mr/