Në Gjenevë po zhvillon punimet takimi i ndërmjetëm i Konventës për Ndalimin e Minave kundër Personave, e njohur ndryshe si Konventa e Ottawa. Shqipëria ka një histori të gjatë angazhimi me Konventën, veçanërisht në kuadër të asistencës për viktimat e minave.
Sekretari i Përgjithshëm i Ministrisë për Evropën dhe Punët e Jashtme, Amb. Gazmend Turdiu, i cili ka shërbyer dhe si Presidenti i 10-të i Konventës, po përfaqëson Shqipërinë në takim. Në vijim, ndërhyrja e tij gjatë takimit:
 
 
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Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
Intersessional Meetings
Geneva, 19-21 June 2023

 
Intervention on matters related to the Mandate of the Committee on Victim Assistance
delivered by
 
H.E. Mr. Gazmend Turdiu
Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania
 
 
Dear Chair of the Committee, Your Excellency, Mr. Marcel Robert Tibaleka from the Republic of Uganda and member states representatives of Italy, Slovenia and Zambia,
 
I would like to express my pleasure at participating in the work of this year’s Intersessional Meeting of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, while already looking forward to the Twenty-First Meeting of the State Parties in November of this year.
 
We took note on the Preliminary Observation on the status of implementation related to the victim assistance by the Committee on Victim Assistance. The institutions in charge in Albania are coming up with the update and addressing of the raised issues.
 
I am pleased also to inform that Albania aligns itself with the EU Statement on Victim Assistance.
 
Let me provide an update of the legal improvements taken place in my country, as well as of the practical actions that were taken, and also what still needs to be addressed.
 
As we have previously informed, in April 2006 Albania approved a law on the implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in which the Ministry of Defence was tasked as the authority in charge for all mine action activities in the country, including on victim assistance.
 
As of 2021, the national contact point for mine and UXO (unexploded ordnance) victim assistance was transferred from the Ministry of Defence, to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MoHSP).
 
Furthermore, in accordance with the Law No. 93/2014 “On Inclusion and Accessibility of the Persons with Disabilities”, in May 2021 the Council of Ministers approved the National Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities 2021-2025. This Action Plan is fully in line with the principles and definitions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
 
The benefits for persons with disabilities are foreseen in both the Law No. 57/2019 “On Social Assistance in the Republic of Albania”, and the Law 121/2016 “On Social Care Services in the Republic of Albania”. The latter tasks all municipalities to draft their Social Action Plans, based on which they, the municipalities, conduct needs analysis for social integrated services in their community, identify vulnerable groups, and services they need. Since the approval of these pieces of legislation, there is noticeable improvement of accessibility in government and public infrastructure of those municipalities, where local plans for accessibility and inclusion are under implementation.
 
In discharging its tasks on victim assistance issues, the MoH and Social Protection works in close collaboration with the relevant institutions including the local governance authorities, persons with disabilities and mine victims associations.
 
MoH and Social Protection has continued the improvement of health care facilities infrastructure through reconstruction of 340 health centers, hospitals and polyclinics. The improved infrastructure in primary health care has been accompanied with accreditation of quality standards to more than 260 health institutions, aiming toward the integration of socio-health services. The coverage and reimbursement of the drugs for categories in need, including persons with disabilities, has continued regularly.
 
The University Hospital in Tirana provides orthopaedic prostheses. The Regional Hospital in Kukës has been transformed into a modern health service structure and standards in operation for the north-eastern region from which the most mine survivors come.
 
MoH and Social Protection is cooperating with partners to improve the accessibility of services near the population and continues to cooperate with UNDP on the implementation of the National Action Plan “On Persons with Disability” 2021-2025. In addition, Caritas Albania and Albanian Red Cross provide support for persons with disability to strengthen their resilience, mental health and psycho-social health. They are also engaged in advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities.
 
The transfer of the responsibility on the mine victim assistance from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection was indeed a good move. Because of this transfer of responsibilities, the MoH and SP needs some more time to update the central database of mine and UXO victims, to identify properly the specific needs of various categories of mine survivors, to incorporate the mine victims groups in the whole set of national and sectoral strategies and action plans related to the persons with disabilities, and to address their problems.
 
During the recent years, some mine victim assistance programs funded by foreign assistance were closed. The Albanian Government is continuing its programs on special assistance and re-integration into the society of the mine survivors, but there is need to fill the gap created by the closure of the assistance programs funded by donations.
 
Specifically, there is need of additional funding for the repair and servicing of prosthesis of the mine victims, as well as for the capacity building and improvement of physiotherapy department facilities in Kukës regional hospital.  
 
Thank you very much for your support and cooperation.
        
 
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