Based on article 5, 12, 20 and 76 of the Law for civic associations and foundations/official gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 31 from July 02, 1998, and Article 21 of the Statute of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, at the session held on January 23rd 1999 the Assembly of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia passed the following

STATUTE
of
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia is a civic organization, that has been established by free joining of professional journalists from Macedonia, in order to coordinate and realize their professional interests and activities aimed to protect the freedom to public expression and freedom of the journalistic profession, as well as to strengthen the professional independence and ethics.

Article 2

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia is an independent, autonomous, non-governmental and non-partisan association of voluntarily joined journalists, and works on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia.

Article 3

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia shall realize its activities in accordance to regulations determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, the Law, and the Statute.

Article 4

The name of the Association is: Association of Journalists of Macedonia. The abbreviation is: AJM. The AJM headquarters are based in Skopje at: Gradski Zid, Block 13.

Article 5

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia is a legal entity.
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia has its sealing and stamp. The sealing has round shape and reads: Association of Journalists of Macedonia – Skopje. The AJM emblem is presented in the middle.
The stamp has a rectangle shape and reads the name and the emblem of the organization.
The AJM has its emblem. The Association of Journalists has a Register of its members.

Article 6

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia is represented by its President.

Article 7

The work of the Association of Journalists is public.
Publicity in the work is provided through regular informing of the AJM members about all activities, review of the program tasks’ realization, submission of reports for the work of the AJM bodies and departments and about the financial operating.
Publicity in the work is provided and realized through public information as well as submitting written materials, through meetings of the existing bodies of AJM. The Association of Journalists of Macedonia will inform of its activities through the existing AJM bodies.
All forms of public communication, the press, radio, television and AJM web site, shall be used for informing the members and the wider public.

II. GOALS

Article 8

The journalists join in the Association of Journalists of Macedonia due to:

- Enhancement of the constitutionally guaranteed right of the public to be informed on events that happen in the society and the right of every citizen to public expression of thoughts and free access to information and to all media.

AJM special goals:

- To defend the freedom of the press, radio, television and all other media.
- To fight against misuse of the media, creation of monopolies, or any form of censorship which could damage the true, timely, complete and independent informing of the public.
- To protect and enhance journalists’ freedoms, rights and responsibilities, based on the Constitution, the Laws of the Republic of Macedonia and the Statute and acts of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, and the international documents that refer to the freedom of the media, and based on expression and informing as elementary human rights.
- To protect the reputation and dignity of the journalism as profession and to protect and urge freedom for the critic and creative work.
- To represent its members in front of the social community, to actively participate in development of legal regulations and international conventions that are in the interest of the profession, to defend the professional interest pursuant to the Code of Journalists of Macedonia.

Article 9

In order to protect journalists’ freedom, rights and interests, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia calls for and organizes:
1. Public protest.
2. Informs the international organizations, the IFJ, Helsinki Committee, the Council of Europe, and other international organizations, institutions, and media.
3. Information boycott.
4. Information silence by the media in Macedonia.
5. General strike.

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia addresses and demands protection from the Ombudsman of the Republic of Macedonia, the syndicates and other non-governmental organizations that deal with protection of human rights and freedoms.
The procedure for undertaking measures is regulated by a special act.
The procedure for undertaking measures from point 1, 2 and 3 is regulated by a special act of the AJM Executive board, while the AJM Assembly decides on points 4 and 5.

Article 10

The AJM goals are realized through:
- Cooperation with syndicates that include the journalists in the Republic of Macedonia.
- Cooperation with other governmental and non-governmental, experts’ and scientific institutions for development of the information sector in the country and abroad.
- Cooperation with international journalists’ associations and journalists’ syndicates, as well as with journalists’ associations of certain countries.
- Legal assistance for protection of journalist’s professional and material position and dignity, his/hers independent right to individual expression and independence of the editors in regard to the work of the media.
- Provision of funds for social and material assistance of journalists, which can be used upon an act of AJM Executive Board.
- Development of cooperation and professional and collegial solidarity among the journalists and the media.
- Organizing of experts’ and scientific gatherings and urging of experts’ and professional education.

In the realization of its goals AJM will pledge for the professional and material interests of the journalists to be protected by the acts and agreements made with the media and with the employers, and on national level they are protected by a collective agreement with the Government and with the employers.