Remarks by USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore at the Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Tirana Court of Appeals (May 19, 2008)

Honorable Minister of Justice, Mr. Deputy Chairman of the High Council of Justice, Mr. Chief Justice, Honorable Chief Judge, Honorable Court Chancellor, Judges, ladies and Gentlemen. It is a privilege to be here to sign this agreement with the Tirana Court of Appeals. This agreement begins a three-year partnership, after which the Court will serve as a model of judicial efficiency, transparency and accountability for the entire court system.

I read that most Albanians do not trust their court system to deliver impartial justice. That unfortunate public verdict must change in order for Albania to change. Judicial reform depends on society-wide commitment.  That is why USAID launched this three-year project by forging an agreement among the Ministry of Justice, the High Council of Justice, and the National Judicial Conference.

Judicial reform also means making concrete changes in the courts right now.  That is why we have also signed separate agreements with a number of courts that outline in detail what we will do together to make each court more efficient, more accountable and more transparent.

This is the sixth MOU we have signed and we will sign ten by the end of next month.  This is the first MOU in which I will sign on behalf of USAID and that is how seriously we take this initiative. The United States will do its best to help this court improve in ways that those who work in the court and those who use the court will see and feel change. Our shared goal is to help this Court and indeed the entire court system to earn the public’s trust.

In order to reach this goal together, we need what you are pledging today: your active collaboration, dedication and commitment. We need your willingness to maintain public records of proceedings and decisions. We need you to allow the doors of this court behind me to stay open to the media and to public scrutiny.

I would like to underscore the issue of public trust. Public trust in the courts is indispensable to the rule of law. When citizens are charged with an offense or wish to resolve their disputes, they should expect and receive fair and equal treatment in the eyes of the law.  They have a right to bring appeals to courts like this to seek redress for improper actions or wrongful decisions.

Albania has made progress toward the rule of law. Now with the prospects of full NATO membership closer, Albania has an even greater opportunity not only to get serious about justice reform, serious about regaining public trust in the courts. Albania has a chance to show the international community that it reaches for the highest standards of judicial performance demanded of them as a condition of membership in NATO and the European Union.

I commend the Tirana Court of Appeals for its commitment to reform and for the collaboration that this agreement represents. This is a very good start. If the terms we agree to today are carried out we may be able to stand here three years from today and say with pride that trust in the judicial process has been restored, that our efforts have made a difference. Thank you.