ASPS President visits Albania on the 70th Anniversary of the Council of Europe

Tirana, 16-18 May 2019

The president of the Association of the Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe, Mr Nils Muižnieks, visited Albania from 16-18 May 2019 by the invitation of the School of Political Studies in Tirana.
Mr Muižnieks was one of the guest speakers on the third national course of the Albanian School of Political Studies programme, that was this year held in Durres. The topic of the seminar was “Populism in Europe as a threat to democracy and human rights”, related to the main thematic of the course focused on the European integration of Albania and Western Balkans. The discussions tackled the current political challenges, ways of regaining the trust of citizens in their political elites and the lack of alternative solutions to economic and refugee crises. 

Mr Muižnieks delivered a presentation on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Council of Europe with the participation of more than 100 students and academic staff of the Faculty of Law at the State's University of Tirana. He presented the work of the organization to ensure and improve the protection of human rights based on his experience as former Council of Europe's Commissioner of Human Rights.

Other speakers were the dean of the Faculty of Law, Mr Artan Hoxha, and the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, Ms Jutta Gützkow, who delivered the opening remarks focusing on the importance of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter towards the achievement of common standards on human rights, democracy and the rule of law for Albanian citizens.
Participants also got an opportunity to ask questions related to the action of the Commissioner for Human Rights on ensuring the rights of minorities, right of democratic protest, domestic violence and implementation of decisions of European Court of Human Rights in Albania. 

Read more about ASPS president's visit to Tirana on Albanian Daily News.