Albania - Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Treaty

This report examines Albania’s obligations under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, highlighting systemic barriers to civic participation. Despite legal commitments to democratic engagement, disparities in education, political exclusion, and weakened civil society structures undermine fundamental rights.

Key concerns include (1) systemic barriers to civic education, particularly for rural and marginalised communities, fostering political apathy; (2) societal inequities, including unchecked domestic violence and lack of language assistance for Roma voters, restricting electoral participation; (3) historical legacies of authoritarianism and extreme political polarisation contributing to voter distrust; (4) inadequate access to political information due to diminished media pluralism, threats against journalists, and restricted student mobilisation; and (5) insufficient mechanisms for citizen involvement in governance, including fragile civil society institutions and unresponsive local governments.

This report urges Albania to strengthen civic education, improve election accessibility, promote media freedom, protect marginalised communities, and reform local governance structures to uphold its ICCPR commitments.