IOI | President Walters and Secretary General Kräuter visit International Migration Conference in Tirana

On 7 and 8 September 2016 IOI President John R. Walters and IOI Secretary General Günther Kräuter attended a high-level International Conference in Tirana.

“Challenges for Ombudsman Institutions with respect to mixed migratory flows” was the topic of this International Conference organised by the Albanian Ombudsman Mr Igli Totozani. Ombudspersons from all over Europe, Latin America and Africa attended the meeting in Tirana and discussed the challenges for Ombudspersons during increased migratory flows. The focus was put on the various different aspects Ombudspersons face in countries of origin, but also transit and destination countries.

Besides Ombudspersons the Conference was also attended by experts from the Council of Europe, the European Union and the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Kate Gilmore.

The discussions resulted in the so called Tirana Declaration, according to which the participants promised to intensify the cooperation in the fight for human rights of refugees and migrants, to work harder in preventing xenophobia and hate speech and to generally apply all the instruments available to them for the protection of human rights.