UPR Info

Regarding the protection of minorities, the delegation expressed the Government's commitment to implement the recommendations put forward in the 2014 resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Albania has been also committed to strengthen the United Nations human rights system, including boosting the capacity of the Human Rights Council to respond effectively to gross human rights violations, strengthening cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms, working towards further advancement of international human rights norms and standards, strengthening efforts to promote gender equality, empower women and to promote the rights of the most vulnerable groups and strengthening the protection and promotion of the rights of older persons.

The Albanian Government is committed to implementing the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Decade of Roma Inclusion in order to improve the living standards of Roma community. An effective mechanism is set up to monitor and evaluate the progress at the national level of the National Strategy on Roma and the National Action Plan "Decade of Roma Inclusion" as well as the cooperation among institutions at the central and local level

The government of Albania had expressed its commitment to proactively implement the anti-corruption strategy as part of the National Strategy for Development and Integration (NSDI). CoE PACA program has provided recommendations for setting up mechanisms to increase integrity and regulate conflicts of interest with regard to the administration of staff even in the education system. Furthermore the Albanian authorities are taking into consideration the Advisory Paper of CoE on short- and middle term measures on anti-corruption.

The Constitution and the legal framework guarantees the minorities rights without discrimination of national and ethno-linguistic minorities. The relevant institutions are committed to draft and implement a road map to improve legislative and policy framework as regards respect for and protection of minorities.

Albanian institutions are committed to implement the recommendations contained in the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (adopted in February 2014). In the road map (adopted in May 2014) on the fulfilment of the five priorities of the European Commission are foreseen measures for the protection of minorities. In this framework a Working Group is established with representatives of central institutions and independent institutions in order to evaluate the existing legal and policy framework for the protection of minorities and to present proposals related the improvement of legal framework and policies for minorities.

Albania extended a standing invitation to all special procedure mandate holders and consequently, two Special Rapporteurs visited the country. The Government pledged that it would continue working with the special procedure mandate holders in order to implement their recommendations.

Albania had extended a standing invitation to all the special procedures and two special rapporteurs had visited the country during the reporting period. The Government had pledged to continue working with special procedure mandate holders in implementing their recommendations.

Albania was considering accepting the individual complaints procedure under all the human rights conventions to which it was a party.

Albania had been one of the first to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence and was implementing it, collaborating with NGOs and providing them with funds from the State budget. The Government was also committed to eliminating the gender wage gap, as well as the discrepancy between the content and the implementation of legislation and its implementation in that respect.

In response to the concern CEDAW expressed in its 2001 report regarding the existence of punitive abortion laws that could lead to the practice of clandestine abortions endangering the health of women, the Principality wishes to stress the fact that, given the size of the country, this kind of practice does not occur. In light of our historical and institutional proclivity to protect the right to life in its various phases, as provided for in article 8 of the Constitution and defined in articles 107-109 of the Criminal Code (offences against human life), decriminalizing abortion would entail significant legislative amendments that require a parliamentary majority we cannot currently guarantee. We can, however, commit to examining such amendments in the medium term

The Government of Andorra has drafted an initial technical report on the possibility of adopting the provisions of the revised European Social Charter it had not previously accepted, taking into account the legislative changes that have occurred in Andorra since it ratified the Charter in 2004. Andorra can accept this recommendation and commits itself to ratifying new Charter provisions with a view to guaranteeing the rights of workers in accordance with the Charter.

Andorra reiterates its commitment, without prejudice to any future move to fully align its national legislation with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

With regard to the issuing of a standing invitation to all Special Rapporteurs, the delegation clarified that Angola was committed to reinforcing its cooperation with the international human rights mechanisms. In the last few years, the Government had invited the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Also, two former United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights visited Angola. The Government intends to extend invitations to the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants and the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context.

Argentina undertakes to participate in an international campaign to promote the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Argentina commits itself to put into practice the mechanism contained in the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture and to continue the implementation of the National Plan to Combat Discrimination in all its aspects, and also to promote the second stage of the National Plan of Human Rights

Argentina reaffirms its commitment to continue strengthening the protection of human rights at a universal and regional level, and also to preserve and strengthen the role of NGOs in the promotion and defence of human rights.

Argentina undertakes to promote initiatives in the Human Rights Council, among other forums, that seek to increase the protection afforded migrants and to spearhead discussions on the development and implementation of public policies on the subject

Argentina undertakes to continue working to strengthen the United Nations treaty bodies, focusing in particular on improving their accessibility for victims of human rights abuses and on expanding the channels of participation and the opportunities for interaction open to civil society organizations

Argentina undertakes to continue developing institutional mechanisms, with the participation of civil society, to comply with the decisions of regional and international human rights organizations, including by developing compliance charts that show the agencies in charge, the measures to be taken and the corresponding deadlines

Argentina undertakes to continue working to ensure the complementary nature of the work carried out by subregional, regional and international human rights protection mechanisms

Argentina, as a federal State, undertakes to continue preparations for the establishment of a permanent body that will coordinate activities and foster dialogue to promote exchanges of information, experiences and good practices with and among the provinces in relation to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as with the international mechanisms for the protection of universal, regional and subregional human rights

Argentina reaffirms its commitment to continue working on bringing the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners into line with the norms of international human rights law

Argentina has initiated the procedure towards the recognition of the competence of the Committee of the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to examine individual or inter-State communications.

Argentina will promote the adoption by the Human Rights Council of a declaration on the right to truth and memory.

In the same line, Argentina pledges to recognize the competence of the Committee under the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Argentina undertakes to continue promoting the reforms needed to guarantee the full implementation of the right to information by making all information from the public and private sectors public and available to citizens in general

Despite the volume of work performed there is still much to do in this field [equal oportunities for persons with disabilities], the State is committed to ensure the continuity of those activities.

Armenia reaffirmed its commitment to implement all its obligations towards improving the protection and promotion of human rights in the country. Armenia stands ready to fully cooperate with the Council all UN special procedures, and all actors in the field, as well as at the national or international levels, toward achieving prosperity and full enjoyment of all rights by all the citizens in the country.

The delegation took the opportunity to announce a number of new commitments from the Australian Government, including funding for the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Asia Pacific Forum, the establishment of a fulltime Race Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, a commitment to tabling in Parliament concluding observations from treaty bodies and the universal periodic review recommendations, and instituting a systematic process for review of Australia's reservations to human rights treaties.