Health Literacy and Human Rights

Listening and empowering people to build trust

 5 December 2025 INAIL, via IV novembre 144, Rome, Italy

 

This event is organised by the National Office Against Racial Discrimination of Italy, in cooperation with the Council of Europe,
and with the support of the Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities of Italy, and the Minister of Health of Italy

 

 Objective

This event will launch the pathway for the Rome Coalition on Health Literacy and Human Rights, a network to bring together political, institutional, and civil society actors, with the goal of promoting equity and inclusion.

 Programme

Welcome coffee (10:00 - 11:00)

Opening Statements

11:00 - 11:45

Moderator: 

  • Assunta MORRESI, Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO)

Panellists:

  • Eugenia ROCCELLA, Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities, Italy
  • Orazio SCHILLACI, Minister of Health, Italy
  • Rafael BENITEZ, Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment, Council of Europe

Introductory remarks

11:45 - 12:15

Moderator: 

  • Agnese Nadia CANEVARI, National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR), Italy

Panellists:

  • Evis SALA, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Albania
  • Vasiliki KARAOULI, Secretary Permanent, Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs, Greece

Morning Summary

12:15 - 12:20

This session will recall the views and political commitments expressed during the morning and the shared intention to collaborate in the setting up of the Rome coalitition on Health Literacy and Human Rights with the support of the Council of Europe.

  • Lorenzo MONTRASIO, National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR), Italy

Lunch (12:20 - 14:00)

Listening and empowering people to build trust

14:00 - 14:20

This session explores the stigma and discrimination faced by people and groups in vulnerable situations, and considers ways to better to listen, empower and protect them so that they can effectively exercise their right to the protection of health.

Moderator: 

  • Lee HIBBARD, Health Division, Council of Europe 

Panellists:

  • Kristine SØRENSEN, Global Health Literacy Academy, Denmark 
  • Guglielmo BONACCORSI, University of Florence, Italy
  • Chiara LORINI, University of Florence, Italy

Listening and empowering people to build trust - Institutional perspectives

14:20 - 15:50

This session discusses how public institutions and government bodies listen, empower and protect people’s health, and considers how the Rome Coalition adds value to their efforts, both individually and collectively.

Moderators: 

  • Miguel TELO DE ARRIAGA, Directorate-General of Health, Portugal

Panellists:

  • Luisa BORGIA, Vice-Chair of the Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO)
  • Robert GAJDA, Commission for Protection from Discrimination, Albania
  • Tigran KARAPETYAN, Council of Europe
  • Signe MEŽINSKA, Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health at the Council of Europe, Latvia 
  • Luciana TEOFILI, National Blood Center, Italy

Closing remarks and way forward

15:50- 16:00
  • Mattia PERADOTTO, National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR), Italy
  • Rafael BENITEZ, Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment, Council of Europe

 Photos

 Speakers & Moderators

Speakers and moderators are being confirmed progressively, with updates shared on this webpage as they become available.

Atrás Robert GAJDA

Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, Albania
Robert GAJDA

Robert Gajda, PhD

From 2018 Mr. Robert Gajda is the Commissioner for protection from discrimination in Albania, with a 5 years mandate that may be renewed once.

Previously, He was a lecturer of Constitutional Law and Administrative Law at the University of Elbasan and has received his PhD for Constitutional Justice and Fundamental Rights at the University of Pisa, Italy, in 2015.

He has a conspicuous academic activity in writing articles in law reviews and conferences proceedings, in organizing scientific conferences and in 2017 has published a monograph titled “Individual constitutional complaints in the Albanian legal order. Comparative aspects”, Bonomo Editore, Bologna.

He has collaborated with various civil society organizations, especially in relation to the recognition and promotion of human rights as a lecturer, trainer, organizer of legal clinics and collaborator in concrete studies.

He has been engaged as an activist together with intellectuals, students, citizens, NGOs in support of civic initiatives but also as project winners.

Areas of interest are constitutional aspects, human rights, effective implementation of the law, local government, administrative law, legal advice etc.

From 2021-2023 he has been member of the Executive Board in EQUINET.

The institution of Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination (CPD) is an independent public authority and is entitled to a number of powers: – First, the CPD deals with concrete complaints on alleged discrimination; – Second, the CPD conduct independent surveys related to discrimination; – Third, the CPD publish reports, issue recommendations and provides legal opinions about every issue that is related to discrimination; – Fourth, the CPD raise awareness on fundamental rights, specifically on principle of equality and nondiscrimination.

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