Since its opening on 15 October 1997, ACCAPP
has been working with the national and
international community to collect information
and commentary (both technical and non-technical),
provide training, organize polls,
distribute information, organize civic education
initiatives, etc. ACCAPP does not represent the
interests of any political party or government,
and it is open to cooperating with all interested
parties.
Liaison Operations
A primary function of ACCAPP is serving as a
liaison between Albanian and international
participants in the constitution drafting process.
The goal is to ensure that all interested parties
coordinate effectively and avoid duplicate and
conflicting initiatives.
Liaison with Parliament and Technical Staff
ACCAPP takes requests from a member of the
Parliamentary Commission, a member of
Parliament who is the leader of a party group
(Group Leader), and the Technical Staff for
materials, training, and other assistance. These
requests are then distributed to the various
donors, NGOs, and experts available.
It is anticipated that the technical assistance will
be arranged around the following basic
groupings:
ACCAPP accepts assistance offers from
Albanian NGOs and international donors who
would like to provide materials, training, and
other assistance. These offers are shared with
members of the Parliamentary Commission and
Technical Staff and, as appropriate, other NGOs
and international donors. Also, working
sessions are held with NGOs and donors to
develop action plans for organizing assistance
and promoting public participation in the
constitution drafting process.
Within the Albanian community, there are
NGOs and associations that will take part in the
constitution drafting process. With their
involvement in the process, there will be:
1) better informed citizen participation in
making a new constitution and; 2) ownership of
Albania's citizens in the constitution.
Public Participation and Information
ACCAPP and the Ministry of Legislative
Reform and Relations with the Parliament have
developed a program of initial, core activities to
stimulate public debate and the discussion of
constitutional issues.
Public Fora
To engage the public in the process, a series of
meetings are being organized around each of the
five basic subject areas: Legislative Power,
Judicial Power, Executive Power, Local Power,
and Human Rights. These meetings fall into
three categories: NGO Forums, Focused
Discussion Groups, and Regional Discussion
Groups. The first two types are being organized
in Tirana, and the last, as its name indicates, is
being organized outside Tirana.
NGO Forums are initial issue forums organized
by donors working with Albanian NGOs. Each
Forum is organized around one of the five basic
issue areas. These NGO Forums open with a
brief plenary session, and directly thereafter,
turn to discussion. Participants are divided up
into small groups where modern
"brainstorming" techniques are used to produce
recommendations and identify issues needing
more detailed discussions. Focused Discussion
Groups follow each NGO Forum and bring
together experts, NGO leaders, and government
officials to discuss the issues identified as
important in the NGO Forums. Once all the
NGO Forums and Focused Discussion Groups
have been completed, there will be a wealth of
information to introduce and discuss outside of
Tirana. At the Regional Discussion Groups,
each participant will receive a packet of
materials containing NGO Forum and Focused
Discussion Group Results in all the five areas.
Due to practical necessity, it was decided that
Regional Discussion Groups, unlike their Tirana
predecessors, should not be limited in scope to
one of the five areas.
Coordinating Newsletter
An ACCAPP newsletter, the Constitutional
Coordinator, is published on a regular basis, in
Albanian and English. This newsletter reports
on Government, NGO, and international
activities that have occurred. In addition, the
Constitutional Coordinator contains a list of
planned upcoming events. The goal of the
newsletter is to provide a reliable source of
information to insure full coordination and
participation in constitutional activities.
Technical Materials
ACCAPP has encouraged and organized the
production of Concept Papers. These papers are
intended to be brief descriptions of key
constitutional issues accessible to the general
public. Response has been positive, and
ACCAPP currently has available more than two
dozen papers, in English and Albanian, authored
by both Albanian and international experts.
These Concept Papers are being supplemented
with more detailed Technical Papers, focusing
on more complex issues of concern to the
constitutional draftsmen.
Depository Function
Because the Constitution drafting process is a
key point in any nation's history, it is important
that the process be documented and preserved.
ACCAPP is collecting all relevant
documentation for compilation, publication, and
preservation. ACCAPP invites interested
participants to submit information they have
prepared and request any information that they
require for their activities.
Open Invitation
ACCAPP welcomes constructive suggestions to
improve coordination and participation in the
constitution drafting process. The constitution
drafting process is an important step for the
Republic of Albania, and full coordination
amongst international donors, Albanian NGOs
and citizens, and the Government of Albania is
an essential component of the process.
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Administrative Center for Coordination of Assistance and Public Participation
ACCAPP is an independent entity, formed at the request of the Government
of Albania and sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe. Its mission is to coordinate assistance and public participation
in the drafting of a constitution for the Republic of Albania.
Staff:
Ardita Abdiu, Coordinator
Erinda Ballanca, Coordinator
Scott Carlson, Coordinator and OSCE Project Manager
Shkelzen Zeneli, OSCE Project Officer
Elda Gorenca, OSCE Project Officer
Contact Information:
accapp/qakapp
OSCE Presence
Rr. "Donika Kastrioti" Vila 6
Tirane, Albania
355-42-40672 (v)
355-42-40673 (f)