Three pilot desks of the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination started to operate in Korça, Shkodra and Gjirokastra with the support of the Council of Europe and the European Union.  The three desk will help the Commissioner to  improve coverage, accessibility and public outreach in the regions, raise awareness on discrimination issues and facilitate the lodging as well as an effective response to discrimination complaints.

 

The pilot desks will serve as the first contact point for citizens, where they receive information on how to remedy discrimination practices and lodge a complaint. The complaints/cases will be sent to the Commissioner’s central office, for further and specialized investigation, inspection and legal assistance. They will also contribute to increased awareness of local population on the meaning and prohibition of discrimination, of the Commissioner’s institution as a protection mechanism and will provide first-hand assistance to victims of discrimination. They will liaise with local institutions, including and not limited to the People’s Advocate local offices and local Civil Society organisations.

 

The regional pilot desks were established with the support and funding of the European Union /Council of Europe joint project “Enhancing the effectiveness of the Albanian system of Human Rights Protection and Anti-discrimination”. Their establishment was made possible through the support of the respectivemunicipalities andare located in the City Halls of Shkroda and Korca and the ADISA offices in Gjirokaster.

The opening ceremonies for the three pilot desks took place in the presence of the Commissioner, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, the Mayors of Shkoder and Korca, the Director General of ADISA, the People’s Advocate as well as EU representatives on 3 November in Shkodra, 7 November in Gjirokastra and 8 November in Korça.