On 16-17 May 2017, the Council of Europe (CoE) Office in Tirana joined the week of activities coordinated by domestic and international stakeholders in Albania on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Addressing one of the key events “The National Awards for 30 persons of the year 2017 for LGBTI rights in Albania”, organized by Pink Embassy, the Head of the CoE Office in Tirana, Claus Neukirch, underlined that “...discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity is not compatible with Council of Europe standards”.

He commended the progress achieved by Albania in the fight against discrimination, including on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, underlining that there is more needed to cultivate a culture of openness and respect the rights of all individuals in the society.

He appreciated the genuine efforts and contribution of human rights activists coming from different walks of life and invited them to join the Council of Europe motto for IDAHO this year “COME OUT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS”.

In a similar vein, the Deputy Head of the CoE Office in Tirana addressed the students of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tirana in an open lecture “Let’s talk openly about LGBTI rights”. He gave an overview of the main issues and challenges faced by the LGBTI community and underlined the CoE instruments and tools in addressing discrimination and promoting the rights of the community.