The Alliance against Hate Speech will be led this year by the Ombudsman, Mr. Endrit Shabani. The decision was made at the next meeting of the Alliance, also in the presence of the Council of Europe.

The focus of the meeting were two initiatives proposed by the Ombudsman: the establishment of a common system for handling complaints and the drafting of a joint annual report, which will aim to ensure that independent institutions speak with one voice.

“Hate speech does not remain simply in words, but produces real victims and weakens social cohesion. Our response must be joint because the challenge is common,” said Mr. Shabani.

Established in January 2020 with the support of the Council of Europe, the Alliance brings together the Ombudsman, the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, the Audiovisual Media Authority and the Albanian Media Council.