The Commissioner for the Right to Information and the Protection of Personal Data, Mr. Besnik Dervishi participated in the Plenary Session of the National Convention on European Integration, organized by the European Movement in Albania (EMA) with the support of the European Union. The session addressed human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of Albania’s accession path to the European Union and convened representatives from public institutions, civil society, academia and the media in order to discuss progress achieved and challenges remaining with regard to Chapter 23 reforms and compliance with the European standards.

During the opening panel, Commissioner Dervishi underlined that accession to the European Union remains a national strategic objective and that the Commissioner’s Office holds an essential role in all phases of the accession process. He highlighted that the new Law no. 124/2024 “On the Protection of Personal Data”, constitutes a significant advancement in fulfilling one of the fourteen benchmarks of the first Cluster “Fundamentals”. Commissioner Dervishi further drew attention to the findings of the most recent European Commission Report, which recognizes the country’s progress in the field while simultaneously emphasizing the need to strengthen institutional capacities and to ensure the effective and practical enforcement of the law.

The Commissioner also reiterated the importance of establishing and maintaining partnerships with civil society organizations to foster transparency, civic participation and the broader protection of rights, acknowledging in particular the cooperation with EMA, as well as with the Ombudsperson and the Audiovisual Media Authority.

In the framework of the Convention, the Chief of Cabinet of the Commissioner’s Office Ms. Besa Velaj, took part in Panel 3, “Freedom, Privacy and Accountability” where she addressed the challenges relating to the implementation of the new legal framework, the role of transparency and accountability in strengthening public trust and the involvement of the media and the civil society in the promotion of European standards.

Participants in this session discussed issues related to transparency.