IPO IN ALBANIA AT THE INTERSECTORAL STRATEGY FOR THE PROTECTION OF VICTIMS OF CRIME 2024-2030

At the invitation of the Minister of Justice, Mr. Ulsi Manja, the Executive President of IPO, Criminologist Dr. Mareglen Tomori, participated in the "Meeting for the Presentation of the Cross-Sectoral Strategy for the Protection of Crime Victims 2024-2030", the meeting which was held on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at Tirana International Hotel, with the presence of national and international partners.

The purpose of this meeting was the presentation of the Intersectoral Strategy for the Protection of Victims of Crime 2024-2030, as well as its Action Plan, to national partners and international, with the aim of reflecting, familiarizing with it, coordinating and advocating measures of the new Action Plan, to enable support during the implementation of theirs.

After the opening of negotiations for the integration of Albania in the European Union, one of the obligations that must be fulfilled is the alignment of local legislation for victims with EU standards and strengthening international cooperation in this field.

In this context, the Ministry of Justice, in the role of the ministry responsible for drafting and the monitoring of strategic policies in the field of justice, has completed the process of work on the drafting of the package of the Intersectoral Strategy for the Protection of Victims of Crime 2024 – 2030.

This strategy was drawn up under the spirit of the EU strategy "On the rights of victims 2020 - 2025", as well as the acts related to the EU acquis for the protection of crime victims and has take into consideration all the recommendations of the national mechanisms and international in this field.

Also, increased attention in this strategic document is given to the perspective gender (the orientation of the gender approach, in the protection of crime victims), which is integrated in the design and implementation of the strategy with the aim of ending all forms of victimization against women and girls everywhere. Raising awareness of victims' rights is a necessary element of creation of a safer environment for victims, especially taking into account vulnerable groups and marginalized communities, who have limited opportunities of access to justice.

As mentioned above, this strategy has foreseen four political goals, which are:

(I) - strengthening crime prevention and reporting through information, awareness, and effective communication with the public and victims of crime; the first goal aims to inform and raise public awareness and crime victims for reporting, rights, support/protection services them, as well as the creation of safe and accessible environments in compliance with the provisions of EU directives;

(II) - a legal framework aligned with the standards provided in the directives e

European Union and other international acts, institutions, and professionals who provide support, effective protection for victims of crime, and fair access of the victim to a national scheme of compensation; the second goal aims at undertaking concrete measures for the alignment of internal legislation in full with the acquis of the EU and in all legislation affecting victims of crime, training of professionals, as well as the creation of a compensation scheme for victims of criminal offenses committed in the territory of the Republic of Albania;

(III) - guaranteeing the right to information, support, and protection of victims in criminal processes and recognition of victims in need of protection special; the third goal aims to strengthen the position of crime victims in the criminal justice system, through the institutional commitment to the recognition of rights and their protection, in order to reduce the risks of victimization by crime, secondary and repeated victimization;

(IV) - strengthening cooperation and coordination between the actors operating in

the field of protection of crime victims at the national, regional and international;

 this goal aims to strengthen cooperation and coordination actors at the national and international level to ensure access to victims in justice, including NGOs.

In this regard, this meeting will aim to solicit your thoughts and opinions on the main policy goals of the Intersectoral Strategy Action Plan for the Protection of Victims of Crime, as well as opportunities to support and coordinate the measures foreseen in the Action Plan,

The Minister of Justice Mr. Ulsi Manja, appreciated and welcomed the contribution of international partners and NGOs, calling their support very valuable and necessary in overcoming the ongoing challenges, thanking, in particular, the Minister of the Interior Mr. Taulant Balla, for the Minister of Health and Social Protection Ms. Albana Kociu and the Prosecutor General Mr. Olsian Çela for their commitment to the implementation of this strategy, which favors institutional protection and dignified treatment for the victims of crime.

All together, we are working for a respectful society and for the protection of crime victims!

IPO News Room