12th Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues Geneva, 28-29 November, 2019 Intervention of the Republic of Albania 29 November 2019 Madame Chair, Ladies, and Gentlemen, Albania is committed to protecting and promoting all human rights in accordance with international obligations. Diversity is an integral part of and constitutes a source of enrichment for our society. Albania has considerably improved the legal and political framework for the protection of minorities by adopting a minority-specific law in October 2017 that is based on international norms and was followed by a comprehensive consultation process with relevant stakeholders including minorities and civil society. This law specifically provides for the preservation of the cultural identity of minorities, the right to education in the language of national minorities, as well as the use of minority languages. Thus far, 7 regulations (out of 12) relating to the package have been adopted by the Council of Ministers, in particular in relation to the education of minorities. In this context, the Albanian government has taken the following measures:  Provision of textbooks for pupils, professional development of teachers, creation and operation of classrooms where the children of the Greek and Macedonian national minorities are educated. For the 2018-2019 school year, approximately 500 Greek minority students and approximately 120 Macedonian minority students attended public education establishments. Madame Chair, Our country cooperates with all of the countries of South-Eastern Europe in order to advance programs for the protection of the rights of minorities, in particular education and linguistic rights. The most significant problem in this regard in the south of Serbia is the lack of Albanian-language textbooks for pupils from primary to secondary schools. Despite recent positive steps, we expect greater effort from the Serbian government to provide students from the Preshevo Valley with texts in their mother tongue. Finally, with regard to the statement made yesterday by OMONIA, we are obligated to clarify the fact that the terminology “minority area” does not exist in Albania. This term is not mentioned in any legal act and the rights of minorities are guaranteed throughout the territory of Albania, including in areas traditionally inhabited by minorities. In the framework of this Forum, Albania recommends: 3. States should develop national legal frameworks for the recognition and protection of minorities, including their right to education; Page 3 /4