The Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in co-operation with the People’s Advocate and the Commissioner for the Protection from Discrimination of Albania, met in Tirana today to discuss “Combating racial discrimination and intolerance in Albania”.
The meeting was organised in the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Programmes: “ROMACTED: Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at a local level” and Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” – Action on Promoting Diversity and Equality in Albania.
The event was opened by Christian Ahlund, Former Chair of ECRI and rapporteur on Albania said that while there has been progressing, there is still work to do;
“I was positively struck last year by the great achievements Albania has accomplished over two decades and I congratulate all of you on this. Nevertheless, as in all Council of Europe member states, there are problems and challenges in the area of racism, racial discrimination and intolerance that remain and which need to be addressed.”, stressed Ahlund.
Erinda Ballanca, the Ombudsman said that funds needed to be provided by the state to implement recommendations from the ECRI Reports.
Robert Gajda, Commissioner for the Protection from Discrimination added that:
“The role of the state in this process is to create through policies, actions and consistent initiatives, real opportunities for the most disadvantaged groups so that such opportunities are effectively put in place and do guarantee substantive equality”.”
Agron Tare, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs said that the authorities are committed to fighting discrimination and ensuring equality.
Issues discussed in the roundtable included legal frameworks to combat racism and racial discrimination as well as the housing crisis facing Albanian Roma and Egyptian communities.
Since the adoption of ECRI’s fifth report on Albania on 19 March 2015, progress has been made in several areas, however, ECRI expressed its concern about key issues, such as additional measures to fight hate speech and discrimination especially against LGBTI persons and Roma, proper implementation of the LGBTI Action Plan 2016-2020 and National Action Plan for the integration of Roma and Egyptians 2016-2020 as well as further actions in the fight against bullying and extremism in schools, especially for the most vulnerable groups.
In Albania, the European Union and Council of Europe joint initiatives “Promoting diversity and equality in Albania” and ROMACTED are working with the authorities to address national minority protection, promotion of LGBTI rights and combating hate speech in line with the standards and recommendations set by the Council of Europe.
Roma and Egyptian individuals face systemic racsim in Albania. For years, reports from foreign organisations have found huge failures at municipal, national, and institutional, levels in providing equality for these communities. These individuals lack proper access to healthcare, legal aid, housing, and employment. They have also been forcibly evicted from their homes without solutions being provided.
Prime Minister Edi Rama was criticised earlier this year for using derogatory language towards Roma people.
