Advancing the protection from discrimination in Albania

Back Strategic roundtable to advance protection of LGBTI rights convenes in Tirana

Tirana hosted a National Strategic Roundtable on the Protection and Advancement of LGBTI Rights, bringing together high-level government representatives, civil society, experts, and international partners. The event, part of the activities of IDAHOT 2026, was organised by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in co-operation with leading civil society organisations, supported by the joint EU and Council of Europe action against discrimination in Albania.

Opening remarks were delivered by Albana Koçiu - Deputy Prime Minister of Albania, Ina Majko - Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Iris Luarasi - Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Public Media, Silvio Gonzato - EU Ambassador to Albania, and Giulia Re - Head of the Council of Europe Office in Albania. The speakers highlighted Albania’s enduring political commitment to advancing LGBTI rights, stressing the importance of implementing human rights standards to create meaningful change for LGBTI persons.

The roundtable showcased three major studies offering a comprehensive evidence-based overview of the situation of LGBTI persons in Albania:

Monitoring Reports on the Implementation of the National Action Plan for LGBTI Persons (2021–2027) — National and Local Level
Workers’ Rights and the Socio-Economic Situation of LGBTI Persons in Albania
Access to Services for the LGBTI Community in Albania, developed in co-operation with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and supported by EU/CoE joint action on ‘Advancing the protection from discrimination in Albania’

Participants discussed progress and remaining challenges in ensuring equal rights, social inclusion, and access to opportunities for LGBTI persons across the country.

The study on access to services for LGBTI community revealed a striking gap between the perception of service providers and the lived experiences of LGBTI persons. Based on data from 2,241 providers across health, education, social services, employment, and justice sectors, providers generally rated their preparedness to support LGBTI persons at 3.7 out of 5, and their knowledge of equality law at 3.52 out of 5.

In contrast, the voices of LGBTI persons told a different story:

82.7% had never disclosed their identity to a doctor.
Safety in health settings was rated extremely low at 1.95 out of 5.
86.7% had seriously considered leaving Albania due to discrimination and social exclusion.

These findings underscore an urgent need to strengthen institutional responses and ensure that policies translate into tangible, safe, and inclusive services for LGBTI persons.

This initiative demonstrates Albania’s ongoing commitment, alongside all actors, to promoting equality and combating discrimination against LGBTI persons, guided by human rights principles, reliable evidence and European standards.

The event is organised with the support of the action on ‘Advancing the protection from discrimination in Albania’, part of the European Union/Council of Europe joint programme ‘Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye’, and the project on " Promoting human rights and equality for LGBTI persons - IV", implemented by the Council of Europe Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit.

Tirana / Albania 20 May 2026

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The action aims at bringing forward the effects of the reforms in the field of anti-discrimination and combating hate speech. It supports the alignment with European standards to better protect the rights of vulnerable groups and ethnic minorities, further strengthening diversity and equality in Albania.

The action is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” running from December 2023 until January 2026.

What is the goal of the action?

The main goal of the action on “Advancing the protection from discrimination in Albania” is to improve protection of minorities and other vulnerable groups in Albania, from discrimination and hate speech/hate crimes, in line with the European standards.

Who benefits from the action?

The action beneficiaries are the public institutions in the field of antidiscrimination, local stakeholders and most importantly the people in Albania. By providing technical assistance and raising awareness of public institutions and related actors in the field, the action brings forward the effects of the reforms in the field of anti-discrimination and combating hate speech as well as advancing the overall protection of human rights for the people of Albania and in particular for the vulnerable communities.

How will the action work?

This action offers assistance in improving the record of fighting discrimination, racism, hate speech and hate crimes in Albania.

The support is provided as part of the EU accession process while the action offers capacity building initiatives, adapting methodologies of the Council of Europe in the field and exchange of best practices, to foster co-operation among partners and the dialogue between stakeholders;

Awareness raising on diversity and anti-discrimination towards other constitutes an important component of the action.

What do we expect to achieve?

Notably, the action will ensure that:

Policy makers better address discrimination and hate speech;
Public institutions and Civil Society Organisations improve responses to ensure fight against discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes;
General public in Albania becomes more aware and contributes to counter intolerance, hate crimes and racism for a more cohesive society.

What is the budget of the action?

The total budget of the action is 850,000 Euros. Albania is also benefitting from the regional action on Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans, worth 700,000 Euros.

The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe)

About the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.