Nine students and their mentor from the University of Southeast Europe in North Macedonia and Aleksander Xhuvani University in Elbasan, Albania, winners of a Moot Court competition, embarked on a study visit to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on 17 July 2024. The visit, organised under the joint European Union and Council of Europe action "Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III)", included tours of the Council of Europe building, the ECtHR, and the European Youth Centre.

During their visit, students engaged with ECtHR lawyers, discussing case-law relevant to Albania and other member states, and got acquainted with the HELP online courses designed to enhance legal professionals' knowledge and skills. The visit also featured debates on various human rights issues, allowing the students to exchange ideas with Council of Europe staff and deepen their understanding of admissibility criteria and Court procedures.

The primary aim of the visit was to familiarise the students with the work of the Council of Europe and the protections offered by the European Convention on Human Rights. This initiative encouraged students to use the Court’s case-law and the European standards in their academic and professional futures. By engaging with experienced legal professionals, the students gained invaluable insights that will influence their career paths.

Looking ahead, the D-REX III action will continue to invest in the future of Albania’s legal professionals, fostering a new generation well-versed in human rights standards and capable of applying these principles effectively. This initiative is part of the broader European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye,” aimed at enabling beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in human rights, rule of law, and democracy, in line with the European standards.