Back CoE Head of Office addresses the LGBTIQ index award ceremony

© HeadHunter

© HeadHunter

Showing the support of the Council of Europe for the promotion of effective protection against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment and occupation, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, Claus Neukirch, participated at the award ceremony of the 2017 LGBTIQ Equality Index. The Gala event for the award of ten companies was organized by the HeadHunter Group on 5 September, at the Palace of Brigades, Tirana. The event gathered representatives of participant companies, international organisations, state institutions, civil society and media. In its second year, the index involved over 109 companies setting a solid ground in promoting anti-discrimination standards in the workplace for the LGBTI community and beyond.

Awarding the silver prize to ABCOM Company, Mr Neukirch underlined that “While it is very important for international organisations and its member states to set standards and adopt legislative measures to promote the rights of LGBTI people, it is even more important for private and public institutions to implement them.” He commended all the participating companies for being part of this initiative calling for even greater participation in 2018.

Over the last years, the Council of Europe has assisted the Albanian authorities’ efforts in aligning the domestic policies, legislation and practices with the European standards. Pursuant to its assistance in drafting the National Action Plan on LGBTI (adopted in May 2016), a EU/CoE provided action under the Horizontal Facility aims inter alia at Building the capacity of the authorities to implement the National Action Plan; Improving investigation and prosecution of hate crime towards LGBTI people; Increasing public awareness on discrimination suffered by LGBTI people in the country. In its Recommendation (2010)5 on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity the CoE’s Committee of Ministers has among others provided recommendations on equality at the work place with regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.

 

Tirana 8 September 2017
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As part of the European Union and Council of Europe programmatic framework “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” (Horizontal Facility), the Council of Europe will implement the Action “Preventing and Combating Discrimination on grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Albania (SOGI)”, in close partnership with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, the Ministry of Interior/Albanian State Police, the School of Magistrates, the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, the People’s Advocate as well as civil society organisations.

The Action will support the national and local authorities in preventing and combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), by addressing the legislation, policy and practice in particular fields. Expert advice will be provided to support the work of the National Implementation and Co-ordination Team (NICT) and the local Gender Equality Focal Points when implementing the National Action Plan on LGBTI People 2016 - 2020. In addition, the Action will focus on enhancing the capacity of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges to investigate and prosecute homo/transphobic offences and discrimination on grounds of SOGI. Finally, the Action will seek to increase the level of public awareness on discrimination suffered by LGBTI people in the country. To this end,  two surveys will be developed, one focusing on attitudes towards LGBTI people and another addressing the main forms of discrimination suffered by the members of this group.

The Action started on 1 October 2016 and will finish on 31 May 2018 and has an overall budget of 200,000 Euros.

 

The objectives of the Action

The aim of the Action is to contribute to reducing discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Albania, in line with the European standards.

The Action intends to accomplish the following objectives:

  • Improve the inter-ministerial co-ordination and the capacity of the authorities to implement  the National Action Plan on LGBTI People 2016-2020 both at the national and local level;
  • Improve investigation and prosecution of hate crime towards LGBTI people;
  • Increase public awareness on discrimination suffered by LGBTI people in the country.

Accordingly, the objectives of the Action will be achieved through the following expected results:

  • Increased knowledge of the members of the National Implementation and Co-ordination Team (NICT) to implement the National Action Plan on LGBTI People 2016-2020;
  • Increased knowledge of the local Gender Equality Focal Points on SOGI related issues;
  • Enhanced capacity of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges to investigate and prosecute  hate crime towards LGBTI people;
  • New data published on attitudes towards LGBTI people and the forms of discrimination suffered by the members of this group;
  • Review of the existing data collection system regarding the access to services of LGBTI people.

This webpage has been produced using funds of a joint project between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

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Film

"The meeting", a film to increase public awareness about discrimination suffered by LGBTI people in Albania. 

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