North Macedonian Safer Internet Centre (SIC) project, MKSafeNet, is coordinated by the Ministry of Digital Transformation which was represented during this meeting by its Minister, Stefan Andonovski, who emphasised the importance of the project and the dedication of the team behind it. The project consortium consists of 11 partners ranging from academia, civil society and private sector, who aim to provide a safer digital experience for children and young people, offering tools and knowledge for responsible navigation of digital technologies and services.

As the MKSafeNet project is in the early stages of its establishment, the first phase of the project aims to have awareness, helplines and youth as separate entities to streamline data and reports. The SIC has liaised closely with several other SICs from around the network in order to develop good practices. During phase 2 of the project there will be more focus on developing learning materials and the awareness centre and the youth will be more active.

As part of the awareness centre’s work, a feasibility study has been carried out to determine what good practices already exists in the country. This made clear that there needs to be more focus on online safety for children and young people. All consortium partners are fully invested and there is a focus on peer-to-peer learning. 

As the MKSafeNet project is in the early stages of its establishment, there is currently no youth participation scheme in place. However, the SIC recognises the importance of youth participation in the context of online safety and set a series of objectives and action plans towards facilitating effective youth participation activities. In this context, as a first step, the SIC is analysing existing resources and best practices from other organisations such as educational institutions, NGOs and other Insafe network members. In doing so, stakeholder needs are also considered to design accessible, inclusive and relevant youth participation mechanisms. Against this background, there are plans in place to establish a youth panel where children and young people can discuss their experiences and offer insights into the online challenges they face. Peer-led workshops in schools and educational institutions delivered by trained youth ambassadors are also planned to amplify awareness among children and young people.

AloBushavko is the North Macedonian SIC helpline and the organisation behind the helpline is dedicated to the protection and advancement of children’s rights. Out of 22 operational helplines in the country, AloBushavko is the only helpline which is specifically providing services to children and young people. The helpline operates 24/7 and provides a safe space for children and young people to seek help, share problems and receive support. It is accessible for counselling to parents, teachers, caregivers and professionals who are working with children. Counselling is available in Macedonian and English.

As part of the efforts to establish a functional service infrastructure, the North Macedonian SIC is also planning to develop and offer a hotline service. However, given the efforts to establish the SIC structure in general, and the specific focus on providing helpline services in particular, the establishment of a hotline service is expected to come at a later stage and potentially in a future SIC project lifecycle.

Further information about the North Macedonian Safer Internet Centre can be found on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) public portal, including links to its national websites and other contact information. Similar information can be found on the BIK portal for all Safer Internet Centres in Europe.