IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO PETITION IN REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA – A SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO PETITION IN REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA – A SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE

Summary/Abstract: With reference to the broader concept of Social Sustainability and the advancement of human rights as one of its significant a spects, the right of the citizens to petition authorities for redress of grievances without fear of punishment orreprisals lies at the cornerstone of modern democratic states, tracing back its originsas far as the “Magna Carta Libertatum” from the XIII century. The right to petition isrecognized in the basic treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EuropeanUnion, and exercised through the work of the Committee on Petitions in the EuropeanParliament.The right of the citizens of Republic of North Macedonia to petition and elicitaction from public authorities is guaranteed by the Constitution and the Law on ActingUpon Complaints and Proposals. An inquiry on the implementation of this Law hasrevealed many shortcomings, ranging from the inexistence of several crucial bylaws,inexistence of specialized departments for admission and acting upon submittedpetitions, and the absence of systems for record keeping and reporting on submittedpetitions. Taking the legal framework and the praxis of exercising the right to petitionthe institutions of the European Union as a reference point. The authors are discussingthe status of the implementation of the right to petition in the Republic of NorthMacedonia, concluding that the related regulations are incomplete and not properlyapplied. Hence, the implementation of the right to petition in the Republic of NorthMacedonia is categorized as dysfunctional. In the final section the authors are offeringa set of recommendations as a way forward toward revitalization and consistentimplementation of the legislation pertinent to citizens’ right to petition.

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