The Albanian Ombudsman visits the Director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights

On Thursday 2 December 2015, the Albanian Ombudsman, Igli Totozani, visited the Danish Institute for Human Rights to meet with Jonas Christoffersen, the director of the Danish Institute.

The Albanian Ombudsman Institution is not only a sister institution to the Danish Institute, being a National Human Rights Institute in addition to its function as an ombudsman. Together with the Swedish Institute for Public Administration, the Danish Institute for Human Rights has since 2012 managed the support provided to the Albanian Ombudsman Institution by the Danish state under the Neighbourhood Programme.

"We are very happy with the cooperation with the Albanian Ombudsman Institution. We have taken great steps forward and we expect many more results to be achieved," Jonas Christoffersen said.

Monitoring in prisons

The cooperation between the Albanian Ombudsman Institution and the Danish Institute for Human Rights under the project is broad and multifaceted.

The Danish Institute has, among other things, provided assistance to the first strategic planning process of the Albanian Ombudsman and is providing technical expertise to support the department of the Albanian Ombudsman institution monitoring prisons and other places of detention.

A current high priority of the Albanian Ombudsman is to set up Albania’s first human rights library, an initiative that is also supported by Danish funds and expertise from the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

It is undoubted that the Danish support has strengthened the ability of the Albanian Ombudsman Institution to fulfil its key role in the broadening and deepening of Albania as a country ruled by law and compliant with international human rights norms.

Igli Totozani and Jonas Christoffersen both expressed satisfaction with the current collaboration that will continue at least until the end of 2016.