Representatives of the Albanian government, local institutions and civil society organisations involved in primary education gathered in Korça to address the ongoing challenge of segregation of Roma and Egyptian pupils at the “Naim Frashëri” school. This roundtable, organised by the European Union and the Council of Europe, in partnership with the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination and the State Advocate’s Office, identified concrete actions and determined related responsibilities in the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment in the case of ‘X and Others v. Albania’. The judgment highlights discrimination and segregation in the “Naim Frashëri” school, while tackling other inequalities faced by Roma and Egyptian communities nationwide, calling upon authorities to take measures to address the situation.  The discussion also touched upon common problems faced by other at-risk schools across Albania, such as in Berat.

In her opening remarks, Giulia Re, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, underscored the broader significance of this joint effort of the main actors to address the challenges that segregated Roma and Egyptian pupils face: “This is about more than fulfilling a legal obligation for Albania. It is about giving every child in Albania an equal chance to succeed”, stressed Re.

The roundtable provided an opportunity for the State Advocate’s Office to review progress and receive feedback from all involved actors in the field, valuable in outlining the next steps for ensuring proper implementing of the judgment. Discussions centred around the feasibility study, which recommends possible desegregation measures and their potential impact. Representatives from related public institutions defined their roles and committed to ensure timely and effective implementation of the range of measures needed to end desegregation at the “Naim Frashëri” and other schools concerned. They also emphasised the importance of regular updates and making sure Roma and Egyptian communities have a voice in the process.

Participants agreed to monitor progress of the implementation of the judgement rigorously to meet deadlines and maintain open lines of communication to ensure sustainable change. The European Union and the Council of Europe joint anti-discrimination action in Albania reaffirmed the commitment to support the Albanian authorities in their efforts towards full inclusion of Roma and Egyptian pupils in the education system, including their right to access education on an equal footing with the rest of the population.

This activity is organised in the framework of the Actions Advancing the protection from discrimination in Albania and Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III), part of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, and by the Council of Europe Roma and Travellers Division.