Support to the Office of the People’s Advocate and promotion of human rights in Albania (Twinning)

Project Topic & Roadmap

Good governance and efficient public administration are crucial elements of a functioning democracy and require that human rights are respected. Ombudsman offices and People´s Advocates play a key role in this regard, effectively defending the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of individuals and promoting accountability of public institutions. They are guided by the principles of impartiality, confidentiality, professionalism and independence.

Both in the Albanian Parliament and in the public administration, some recommendations as well as improvements in these areas still need to be implemented at the central and local levels. This was indicated, among others, by the SIGMA-OECD Monitoring and Evaluation Report for Albania in 2017.

Accordingly, the goal of the project of the Austrian Ombudsman Board, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) and the Albanian People´s Advocate Institute, which will run from June 2022 to June 2023, is to contribute to the following developments in Albania:

• democratization of society
• promotion of the principles of the rule of law
• respect for human rights
• ensuring good governance through increased monitoring of the efficiency and legality of the work of public administration bodies

Focus Areas

The Albanian People´s Advocate is to be supported in the following areas in particular:

Alignment of national legislation regarding People´s Advocate institutions with EU legislation, international obligations and European best practices

• recommendations for the drafting of a new law on the People´s Advocate Institute
• revision, further development and implementation of internal documents in the functioning of the institution

Strengthening of the capacities of the People´s Advocate institute as a national human rights institution in carrying out its promotional mandate

• identification of training needs
• conception and implementation of training seminars on complaint handling
• improving the visibility of the People´s Advocate and its role in protecting and promoting human rights
• improving cooperation between the People´s Advocate and parliament or civil society and public administration

Recommendations for improving the case management system of the Office of the People’s Advocate according to successful models and practices of EU member states

• proposals for the revision of the current case management system of the People´s Advocate Institution
• guidelines for the possible improvement and maintenance of the system

Method

The project will be implemented as a twinning project. Its central aim is to support the development of public structures in (potential) accession countries and also countries without accession perspective by means of administrative partnerships financially supported by the EU.