A/HRC/13/6 underlying safeguards of a legal and institutional system, which upholds human rights. The right to information, as defined in article 23 of the Constitution, improves the contents of relevant articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The same applies to the right specified in article 35 of the Constitution, which deals with the protection of personal data, so that they would not become public. It is also worth mentioning that, considering the right to life as a basic principle from which all other rights emanate, Albania has joined that group of States which have ratified Protocols 6 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, abolishing capital punishment under any circumstance, in war or peace. Albania has acceded to and ratified almost all human right conventions in the context of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. The purpose of this commitment relates to the basic goal of the Albanian State to meet and implement the highest standards in the area of human rights. Article 122 of the Constitution serves this end; under this article, all conventions or agreements ratified by the Albanian Parliament become part of domestic law and, moreover, they prevail over the latter. Apart from courts of all levels, a special place in upholding human rights is played by the Constitutional Court. In its capacity of ensuring compliance with the Constitution, the Constitutional Court also has s jurisdiction to review complaints filed by individuals for the protection of their constitutional rights. In over 10 years of activity in Albania, the Ombudsman institution has become a fundamental element of the human rights infrastructure. A mediator between administration and individual, the Ombudsman and its activities in Albania are regarded as very useful for a better administration. 6. The specialized structures of the State Police, during the last four years, have cracked down on 108 criminal groups involved in the distribution of narcotic substances or prostitution. Corruption, as a typical phenomenon in all post-communist societies, has also affected the country for years. The Albanian Government is convinced that corruption can be successfully combated only through vigorous legal and organizational measures designed to disrupt its sources, which in their essence affect human rights. The preparation of a clear strategy on combating corruption has already yielded fruit. Specialized anticorruption structures are attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance and others. As to the field of education, the Government has taken concrete measures for the eradication of corruption and has endorsed the legislation for the organization of exams at universities. 7. The Government extends its utmost consideration and appreciation for the non-profit organizations operating in Albania. The major mission of these organizations in promoting democracy becomes even more important in a society with a background such as that of Albania. Not only their efforts to educate citizens concerning respect for and awareness of human rights, but their utmost commitment to documenting infringements of human rights and pressing for measures against the perpetrators, constitute an important contribution. The Government assures its support to all legal initiatives whose essence is the improvement of human rights standards in Albania. Finally, the Minister, on behalf of the Albanian Government, extended officially an open invitation for all special procedures mandate-holders who would like to visit the country in the framework of their respective mandates. This invitation confirms once again the confidence Albania has in the international institutions monitoring the observance of human rights and the conviction that only through transparency and reflection can the highest standards in this area be met. B. Interactive dialogue and responses by the State under review 8. A large number of delegations welcomed the progress achieved in legislative and institutional reform, which would help reinforce the enabling environment for the full respect for all human rights. They also welcomed Albania’s ratification of most of the main 4