Human Rights Developments

Defending Human Rights

The Role of the International Community

Defending Human Rights

One positive outcome of the 1997 upheaval was the development of Albania’s nascent community of nongovernmental organizations. In 1998, some new organizations were formed and others became more professional. The Albanian Human Rights Group and the Albanian Helsinki Committee continued to document human rights abuses and carried out human rights related projects, as did the Human Rights Documentation Center. Dozens of other organizations dealing with issues ranging from women’s rights to landmines were active. None of these groups reported any restrictions imposed on them by the government.