The Albanian partner municipalities of the joint European Union/Council of Europe ROMACTED Programme “Promoting good governance and Roma empowerment at local level” joined efforts today on 10 December, Human Rights Day, with the Albanian School of Public Administration and the Agency for the Support of Local Self-Governments with the organisation of two webinars on “Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights for Roma and Egyptians at local level in Albania”.

The webinars aimed at reiterating the monitoring and evaluation of locally adopted strategic documents for Roma as instruments of participation, responsiveness, openness, and accountability at local level. While embarking from ROMACTED phase I to phase II, the eight Albanian partner municipalities of Elbasan, Pogradec, Korçë, Përmet, Gjirokastër, Vlorë, Fier, and Roskovec will undergo the mid-term monitoring processes of the implementation of the Local Action Plans for the Integration of Roma and Egyptian Minorities 2019-2022. Achievements and setbacks of previous similar local action plans will be evaluated in the municipalities of Gjirokastra and Lushnje while initiating the ROMACTED II process. The newly assigned local coordinators and ROMACTED II facilitators agreed on finalising the monitoring reports within March 2022 as a follow up step.

The European Union/Council of Europe ROMACTED programme, phase II, in Albania is implemented by the Council of Europe Office in Tirana and the Institute of Romani Culture as support organisation under the overall management of the Council of Europe’s Roma and Travellers Team and the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes.