A/HRC/13/6 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its sixth session from 30 November to 11 December 2009. The review of Albania was held at the 6th meeting, on 2 December 2009. The delegation of Albania was headed by H.E. Genc Pollo, State Minister for Reforms and Relations with the Parliament. At its meeting held on 4 December 2009, the Working Group adopted the present report on Albania. 2. On 7 September 2009, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Albania: Mauritius, Russian Federation and United States of America. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Albania: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/ALB/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/ALB/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/6/ALB/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Argentina, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Albania through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the Working Group. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. Genc Pollo, State Minister for Reforms and Relations with the Parliament, believed that the universal periodic review is an additional opportunity to promote and uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms universally. Albania’s example is perhaps the clearest case indicating that the shift from a closed totalitarian to an open democratic society is associated with a major and positive release of energies by each individual in the political, economic and social area. Not more than two decades ago, Albania was going through a sort of a disastrous mixture of totalitarianism and isolation, which made it the most impoverished and the most oppressed country in all Europe. After t 1992, the policy of the Albanian State in observing human rights was based on the two pillars: setting up a whole corpus of legal and sub-legal acts, which would enshrine and ensure individuals’ rights and freedoms; and setting up special State structures, which on one hand would overview the fulfillment of the obligations undertaken in the context of international conventions or even in the framework of domestic legislation and on the other hand, would highlight for the benefit of the State authorities the difficulties or the problems faced in observing human rights, proposing at the same time legal and organizational measures for their solution. The adoption of the Constitution in 1998 marked a significant juridicalinstitutional development on human rights in Albania. In over 40 articles, the Constitution addresses in a detailed way human rights and fundamental freedoms. The right to life, freedom of expression, freedom of press, the right to information, freedom of consciousness and religion, personal freedom, the right to privacy and other rights represent today the 3