Índice de los derechos humanos

w) establishment of several institutions with competence in field of combating racial discrimination and protecting minorities, such as People's Advocate, Office for Minorities within Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Division for National Minorities in Department of Prefectures in Ministry of Local Government

w) measures adopted to protect religious freedom and considerable efforts made to promote the education and cultural rights of persons belonging to national minorities
w) adoption of art. 20 of the Constitution on education in mother tongue

w) decision by Albanian authorities to improve legislative framework for traditional street names and other indications for public in minority languages

n) last census showing ethnic composition of population dates back to 1989 and census conducted in 2001 did not update this information; there are no recent statistics on minorities generally, and none at all on Roma minority in particular

n) tendency not to regard particularly unfavourable situation in which certain minority groups live as one involving racial or ethnic discrimination, believing that social and economic problems encountered by persons belonging to these minorities are the same as those with which rest of population has to deal

n) distinction made in internal law between national minorities (Greek, Macedonian-Slav and Montenegrin) and linguistic minorities (Roma and Aromanian or Vlach)
n) statement by State that this distinction has no effect on rights enjoyed by persons belonging to such minorities
CERD points out that art. 20 of Constitution does not expressly grant rights only to national minorities and members of linguistic minorities do not, in practice, enjoy same cultural rights
persons belonging to Roma and Aromanian minorities are reportedly not satisfied that their communities are classified as linguistic minorities alone, since main components of their identity go beyond question of language

n) existence of a community which describes itself as "Egyptian" but is not recognized as a minority on grounds that according to State, it is fully integrated into Albanian population

CERD understands that exercise of right to study and to be taught in mother tongue means that a specific number of members of minority must be present in a particular geographical area
CERD also recognizes efforts being made by State to ensure that mother-tongue classes and schools are maintained, despite drop in number of students

r) ensure that rights of members of minorities are not unduly restricted outside areas where these minorities are concentrated
i) information on this question to be included in next report, with regard to all minorities

r) declare as offences punishable by law any assistance to racist activities and financing thereof, participation in racist organizations, acts of racial violence and incitement to such acts, and any refusal to provide goods or services on racist grounds
r) aggravating circumstance of racism should be introduced in Penal Code so that any offence based on racist grounds can be punished more severely

r) take measures to halt such practices and to increase law enforcement officials' sensitivity to and training in matters involving racial discrimination

r) an analysis should be made of participation of members of minorities in government service and political institutions in State