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COMMISSIONER FÜLE’S VISIT: PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WANT ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS

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3 May 2012 /// The Commissioner for Enlargement Štefan Füle visited Albania to discuss reform efforts and progress in the EU agenda with his Albanian counterparts. On this occasion, Albanian citizens with disabilities organised a protest to make sure the EU Commissioner understands why the Albanian governments doesn’t respect yet important conditions for the country´s accession to the European Union.

> THE ALARMING REPORT   Albanian flag

A recent report from EDF member, the Albanian National Council of People with Disabilities (ANCDP), raised serious concerns about the situation of human rights for people with disabilities and the democratic participation of representative organisations in Albania.

The report clearly shows that:

  • representative organisation of persons with disabilities have been excluded from the consultation in policy and legislative areas of interest to the rights of people with disabilities,
  • the measures taken in the area of disability contravene the rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD); this way Albania is in breach with the principles of the International Treaty signed by Albania in December 2009,
  • the way representative organisations are treated by public authorities constitutes a clear violation of democratic rights of civil society organisations to express their opinion and to advocate for better legal and policy frameworks.

> ALBANIANS WITH DISABILITIES’ PROTEST DURING THE VISIT OF COMMISSIONNER FÜLE

On the occasion of the Commissioner’s visit on 3 May, more than 600 Albanian with disabilities protested in order to make sure that their concerns are heard towards the Commission.

The ANCDP President, Sinan Tafaj said: “The Albanian Government doesn’t follow yet the principles of democracy: respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Albanian with disabilities are not included in the society and their representative organisations are not even being consulted. We believe this is a serious threat to the Copenhagen criteria that set out the condition for accession to the EU.”

The European Disability Forum supports organisations of people with disabilities in Albania and vows the Albanian government to stick to the Copenhagen criteria and to the principles of the UN Convention. Moreover, EDF is calling the Albanian government to give an end to any violations threatening the rights of its citizens with disabilities.

> CONTACTS

Albanian National Council of Disabled People

Sinan TAFAJ| President | nezhaarmand@yahoo.com  | T +35 5 42 71 727

European Disability Forum

Aurélien Daydé | Communication officer | aurelien.dayde@edf-feph.org | M +32 485 64 39 93



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