Albania: Government must act to counter stigma and discrimination against LGBT persons, says expert

TIRANA – The Government of Albania has established a solid infrastructure to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity but needs to do more to ensure that laws and policies are implemented and aligned with the lived realities of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, an independent expert said today.

“At a time of considerable economic growth and social change in Albania, I was heartened to see clear evidence of the Government’s commitment to ensure that LGBT people in the country are not left behind and have equal opportunities to fully realise their potential in Albanian society,” said Graeme Reid, the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“LGBT people nonetheless continue to face discrimination in access to education, healthcare, employment and other aspects of their daily lives,” Reid said. “They also face obstacles reporting bias-motivated violent crimes and accessing remedies for alleged violations of their rights, often as a result of prevalent stigma and discriminatory social attitudes toward LGBT persons.”

Reid visited Albania from 1 to 12 July 2024. In a statement concluding his 10-day visit, Reid applauded Albania’s achievements in aligning domestic laws and policies with international standards and the Government’s positive role in international fora in support of the human rights of LGBT people. He travelled to Tirana, Shkoder, Kukes, Vlore, Sarande and Korce for meetings with government officials, civil society representatives, equality bodies, and individuals sharing experiences of alleged violence and discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

“What stood out in my visit to Albania was the readiness of authorities at all levels to defend the human rights of LGBT persons, in line with the requirements of the National Action Plan on LGBTI Persons,” Reid said. “In some cases, authorities sought my recommendations about action they could take to do better. Yet many municipalities also expressed the need for improved data gathering, technical training, and funding of human resources to build awareness-raising campaigns, school curricula and protection mechanisms.”

Reid observed a striking disparity between official statistics and public perceptions on the nature and extent of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including in research undertaken by civil society groups. Nonetheless, most officials and activists he met with agreed that laws and policies to counter discrimination and violence in LGBT people’s daily lives need to be put into practice – including through adequate resource allocation and raising awareness at all levels of society on how people are marginalised and harmed by discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the public domain.

The expert will present a full report on his visit to the Human Rights Council in June 2025, including recommendations to the Government of Albania on how to address any shortcomings in line with international human rights law and standards.