Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

22 Meeting of States Parties / 01-05 December 2025

Albanian intervention on the matters related to the Mandate of the Committee on Victim Assistance

Madame President

Excellences,

Distinguished delegates

Let me start by thanking you and your team, the ISU and the committee members for the hard work for our convention. We would like to thank the coordinators for their report. Albania aligns itself with the statement delivered by European Union on Victim Assistance and would like to make the following remarks on national capacities.

Republic of Albania continues to express strong support towards the implementation of the APMBC in all its aspects, especially in line within undertaken obligations and strongly advocating for the implementation of transparency measures, providing assistance to Victims of mines and UXOs in line with the Siem Reap-Angkor Action.

Let me provide an update in the implementation of legal framework in my country, practical actions that were taken and also measured foreseen to be taken.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection coordinates policies on the rights of Persons with Disabilities in order to guarantee that persons with disabilities in accessing social protection, access to justice, education, health, social housing, employment and vocational training, in accordance with measures of the National Plan for Persons with Disabilities 2021-2025, approved by Decision of the Council of Ministers, no. 276, dated 12. 05. 2021.

During the reporting period, Albania has taken important steps towards the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Parliament of Albania adopted Law No. 93/2014 “On Inclusion and Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities”, foreseeing general concepts on social inclusion, accessible services and non-discrimination for all categories of persons with disabilities.

Access to health care services, therapeutic treatment, and rehabilitation interventions for persons with disabilities, including landmine survivors and their families are provided at all levels of service delivery in primary and hospital health care centres.

There were offered medical specialized services to the people with disabilities in the University Hospital of Trauma in Tirana including orthopaedics, physiotherapy, and prosthesis services. Medical services are provided at the hospital for all persons with disabilities, including landmine survivors. Specialized interventions are offered in 11 regional hospitals and at the University Trauma Hospital. The Kukes Regional Hospital offers an orthopedic prosthesis service, providing mainly repair services.

To increase access and quality in the provision of health services, around 400 centers have improved the infrastructure and provided quality health services. The model of socio-health services has been expanded to 103 socio-health centers, at the national level, where family medicine teams have been joined by psychologists and social workers.

Through the Social Fund financing mechanism, new community services have been created for people with disabilities. During the year 2024, a priority has also been the strengthening of the roles and figures of professionals who work with vulnerable groups, such as social health operators and personal assistants for the disabled.

Regarding employment, the amendments approved in Law no. 15/2019 “On the Promotion of Employment”, have established the Social Employment Fund, through the provision and administration of financial mechanisms for the promotion of employment, integration and social inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Based on Law No. 111/2017 “On legal aid guaranteed by the state”, persons with disabilities, regardless of their income, are direct beneficiaries of primary and secondary legal aid. Sub-legal acts have been drafted, enabling cooperation with legal clinics to increase access to justice for persons with disabilities.

Regarding mental health, the Mental Health Action Plan 2023 – 2026 is in implementation, which continues to promote the provision of mental health services at the community level, through the deinstitutionalization and decentralization of these services.

At the last meeting of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, the findings and recommendations of the mid-term report of the National Plan for Persons with Disabilities 2021-2025 were also presented. The MoHSP organized consultations on these recommendations  in four regions: Shkoder, Durres, Elbasan and Berat.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection will soon begin the process of evaluation of implementation of National Action Plan on Persons with Disability 2021-2025 and drafting of the new National Action Plan for Persons with Disability 2026-2030.

Thank you for your attention