Albanian Daily News: Ms. McCluney, thank you for being available for this virtual interview.  I think it is timely, as every September the eyes of the world are on New York where leaders convene at the UN General Assembly – the so-called UNGA –to address the formal Assembly and participate in side meetings on important issues for the world.   Perhaps, you could tell readers what you understand will happen in New York these days? UN Resident Coordinator in Albania Fiona McCluney:  Mr. Mlloja, thank you so much for this opportunity to brief on the upcoming meetings in New York.  Of course, much will happen on the sidelines and in informal tete a tetes, including a meeting between United Nations (UN) Secretary General Guterres and the Head of Albania’s Delegation to the UN, which I am not party too but, at the so called ‘High Level Week’, there are two headline messages from the Secretary General that he has shared in advance:   The World needs Peace,  and, as we are now at the half-way mark to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global assessments show that progress is worryingly off track by the 2030 deadline. The UN asks, how is your country doing and what more can we all do together to put the 17 SDGs back on track. The opportunity to present positions on these issues, expand on plans and raise ambition especially in relation to Agenda 2030 will happen in the context of a number of important events. On 18-19 September 2023 the SDG Summit will take place, Heads of State and Governments speaking from the podium of the General Assembly review progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs and make a high-level political statement on priorities and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the Goals. I was pleased to meet the President in July to brief him on UN Secretariat guidance for the event.  The negotiated political declaration from the SDG Summit has been under discussion between Member States over the last two months.  Deputy UN SG Amina Mohammed leads this work and I know she hopes the final text will reflect a shared interest and ambition for renewed progress on SDGs towards 2030. On a more technical note, the SDG Summit is expected to identify the specific areas – High Impact Initiatives - with potential for accelerating the SDGs.  On ending Violence against Women, and transformation of Food Systems and Education, as well on reducing Carbon Emissions, Albania has made commitments in other fora they can reconfirm.  We hope Jobs and Social Protection will be another area to move forward. - What other events will take place during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly regular session which opened on Tuesday, 5 September? - On the 19 – 20 September the UN General Debate will take place, with important speeches by world leaders.  This year’s debate focus tells us a lot about the state of affairs in the world. Leaders are asked to reflect on “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”. The General Assembly debate continues for several days in order for all 100 or so leaders present to get their moment at the podium. In parallel, on 20 September there is a High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. It will provide political leadership and guidance on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda – a UN framework for mobilizing resources to achieve the SDGs – as well as identify progress and emerging challenges and mobilize further action. And convening around our biggest challenge for humanity, Climate Change, the Climate Ambition Summit will also take place on the 20 September. This key event will be convened by our SG Guterres who is expected to provide an updated status on the impact of climate change – no doubt drawing together trends familiar to us from the news every day.  He will address leaders from Governments, business, cities and regions, civil society, and financial institutions. Expect an alarming narrative as this summer has been the hottest on record.  He will call for credible, serious and new climate action and nature-friendly solutions that will move the needle forward in reducing carbon emissions and adapting to the urgency of the climate crisis. The Covid pandemic taught the world many lessons, and again on 20 September, the High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response will build on these. The President of the General Assembly, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, will convene Heads of State and Government for a one-day meeting to adopt a political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Two other important meetings related to public health will take place on 21 and 22 September, respectively: The High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage and the High-level Meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis. UN Agencies with Headquarters in New York such as UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN-Women may also have bi-lateral meetings with members of the Albanian delegation. As you see there is a full agenda of important events happening in New York this time and yes, the eyes of the world will be on statements made there. Representatives of all global media will be present and reporting back to their countries. - Really a lot going on in a short period, Ms. McCluney, I also understand Albania, as a member of the Security Council 2021 - 2023, has the Presidency of Security Council this September. What is your take on the role Albania has played during their mandate and what are the priorities this month at the helm of the Security Council? - Albania has played a remarkable role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council during its mandate. The war in Ukraine placed the work of the Security Council on a critical footing with many difficult diplomatic and substantive issues to navigate.  As chair it is an opportunity to focus debate on issues of interest. The two specific initiatives Albania has presented as key events during September are a high-level open debate on Ukraine to be chaired by PM Rama on “Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter through effective multilateralism: Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine", and the inclusion of the private sector in “Advancing Public-Private Humanitarian Partnership”. Peace and Security are one aspect of the UN’s global work, but for the interest of your readers, might I mention the scope of agency representation here in Albania.  19 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes - UN System in Albania – signed the agreement we have with the Government of Albania, the 2022-2026 Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework – UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNOPS, WHO, ILO, UNHCR, IOM, UN WOMEN, FAO, UNIDO and UNEP have staff in Albania, with many of us in the offices at the Rruga Skënderbej, Tirana, covered with banners representing each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  Also, our website albania.un.org can be a useful resource to get all the latest news of our progress in Albania and we have currently updated all detailed achievements through the Progress Report 2022. I hope to brief you again soon.  There is much in the pipeline. October 24th is the UN Day, with many activities building up to events next year, in September 2024, where the theme of the UN General Assembly will be the Summit of the Future, looking more critically at global governance gaps, the SDGs and the United Nations Charter, and how to make a multilateral system better positioned to positively impact people’s lives.  

Dear partners, colleagues and friends, Welcome to the 31st edition of our Delivering for Development newsletter, where we showcase the impactful work of UN agencies in Albania during the second quarter of 2023. In this issue we cover a wide range news from the key areas of our work, including human capital development, economic growth innovation, climate change, governance, rule of law, human rights, and gender-responsive governance. It's an issue that offers comprehensive insights into our multifaceted efforts. Do not miss the exciting updates on the significant milestones achieved by two of our joint programmes, both of which focus on harnessing the potential of the private sector as a key driver in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. In the domain of youth engagement, we are thrilled to introduce the newest cohort of the UN Albania Youth Advisory Group, underscoring the crucial role of young people in our initiatives. Our articles cover compelling subjects such as sustainable agriculture, the preservation of cultural heritage, and a plethora of other inspiring topics. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and partnership as we continue to work towards a brighter future in Albania. We wish you a pleasant read, Fiona McCluney
Resident Coordinator
United Nations Albania   You can access the #Delivering4Development Newsletter here.

This year’s Annual Progress Report is the first report of the new UNSDCF 2022-2026. It focuses on presenting the priorities and the four outcomes that collectively encapsules the work of nineteen (19) agencies, funds and programmes working in the country, which comprise the UNCT in Albania, chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator, the designated representative of the UN Secretary General for development operations in the country. The UN in Albania implemented more than 200 interventions during 2022, each linked to SDG goals and targets. Collectively the UN delivered USD 58 million through its Cooperation Framework, of which 90 percent was mobilized by efforts of the country offices. Assessment of progress, using Cooperation Framework indicators, made towards achievement of targets shows that approximately 49% of the 160 targets are on track. We invite you to browse through the report, to get a more in-depth overview of the United Nations in Albania work during 2022. You can access the Annual Progress Report website by clicking here.

Albania’s economy is steadily growing with high potential for exports. Rich biodiversity in Albania represents an important potential for economic development resulting in Albania becoming one of Europe’s top producers of medicinal and aromatic plants in recent years. But why are Albanian products hardly to be found in Europe? What hinders Albanian producers from exploiting the full trade potential of their products? To participate successfully in the global trading system and reap the benefits that globalization promises, the country must cope with the numerous challenges and constraints posed by a continuously changing marketplace. Most noteworthy among these challenges are the intense competition due to the globalization of economies and the liberalization of markets; the impact that the  governance of international retailers and buyers has on access to markets; increased consumer awareness and the resulting growing demand for high-quality, organic, minimally processed products and the emphasis on traceability and social responsibility; and the increasing risk of marginalization faced by areas with poor infrastructure and small producers. Even though many opportunities have been induced by trade liberalization and efforts have been made to strengthen their integration into the world trade system, Albania – among many developing countries - has not been able to substantially increase their access to global markets. In their efforts to improve compliance, the challenge for national governments and development partners is the allocation of scarce financial and technical resources amongst a plethora of capacity building needs. There is, therefore, a need to identify where the most acute compliance challenges are rooted. In a trade context this means identifying the products and markets with the highest rates of non-compliance and addressing the underlying causes. This is where the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), through the Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP), aims to make a difference. In light of the continued and growing relevance of standards compliance, and the solid and positive track-record of joint cooperation projects, UNIDO and Switzerland, through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), have developed a flagship approach, GQSP, which is now a global initiative assisting 12 countries worldwide to boost their competitiveness in 16 diverse sectors. The GQSP identifies quality- related challenges and makes targeted interventions at every single stage of the value chain, increasing compliance with international market requirements, thereby helping industry to boost their competitiveness and ultimately engage in global trade. The programme is based on UNIDO´s innovative and holistic approach to quality infrastructure cum value chain development. In support of these national efforts, the programme elaborates global solutions for common challenges through the development of global public goods, like the Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development Index and the Standards Compliance Analytics. Since its launch, the GQSP has strengthened over 130 quality institutions and service providers around the world. It has directly supported more than 3,000 firms, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, in improving their operations, management practices and access to new markets. Given the rich biodiversity in Albania, its existing position as a recognized exporter of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) and considering that the majority of the importers are developed countries with stringent requirements in terms of standards and quality, Albania needs to address several supply-side gaps to realize its full potential. Overall, the agricultural sector (including MAPs as well as fruits and vegetables) is the most important sector in the Albanian economy. It contributes to 22.5% of the country's GDP and is the main source of income for the rural population. The improvement of the sector is a challenge for the Albanian Government. Although several reforms have been proposed to increase transparency, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency in the agricultural sector, their success in implementation has been limited. The agro-food sector in general is characterized by a very large number of producers and a short value chain. Yet, constraints are faced related to limited traceability, lack of quality standards and safety measures, inadequate infrastructure and lack of recognized testing capacities in the country. Another factor that is dominant in Albania is the farming culture and mentality of the producers, combined with poor education levels and little or no culture for quality among the rural population, which ultimately impedes entrepreneurs from being adaptive to the new challenges of economy, market demand, increasing quality and safety requirements as well as diversification of their products. This means, not only do local producers have very little awareness and knowledge about quality requirements, there is also a lack of adequate and internationally recognized testing and quality infrastructure services to prove compliance with market requirement, even if those are met. One of the key challenges identified to be a major obstacle to trade and exports, is the use of banned pesticides. This is clearly highlighted in an analysis of standards compliance capacity resulting from border rejections of food and feed products exported from Albania to the EU, conducted by UNIDO based on its Standards Compliance Analytics. Resulting from this analysis, Albania must put special emphasis on strengthen its capacity to export agricultural products that do not present - and can prove not to present - evidence of pesticides or any other contamination, including those resulting from lack of hygiene conditions and bacteria. Against this background, within the framework of the GQSP, the objective of the project in Albania is to strengthen the quality and standards compliance capacity to facilitate market access primarily in the MAPs sector, which will also benefit the food and vegetable (F&V) sector. For the past few years, Albania has been one of Europe's top producers of MAPs, with its production focused on wild plants such as sage, lavender and cornflowers. These plants are often harvested in the foothills, though they are being increasingly cultivated on a more commercial basis. The overarching goal of the intervention is to align Albania’s quality infrastructure to the needs of the  national production and thereby boost export of MAPs, and fruits and vegetables, in view of accessing foreign markets, particularly the EU market. Following a comprehensive approach to strengthening Albania’s trade capacities, UNIDO will support producers to make best use of standards, meet market requirements and thereby improve their production processes. Complementary, the GQSP will strengthen national quality infrastructure institutions, in view of providing state-of-the-art services and align to the requirements of the EU, and enhance conformity assessment, including testing and  certification, to provide internationally recognized services that are accepted globally. Further, the programme will as well provide policy advice to support the alignment of the national quality infrastructure with the systems of the EU. Special emphasis will be put on the promotion of a quality culture and the promotion of collective efficiencies. All these endeavours are expected to lead to enhanced capacity to trade and boost exports of medicinal and aromatic plants, empowering small producers and improving the lives of the rural population, in line with the Government’s priorities. By creating a conducive environment, creating a culture for quality and providing support to the private sector to increase their productive capacities, the approach strengthens the supply side and stimulates demand for quality services in the long run – promising sustainability. UNIDO assists countries to accelerate their transformation towards inclusive and sustainable industrialization, bridging gaps and seizing industrial development opportunities to achieve the 2030 Agenda. More than ever, inclusive and sustainable pathways to industrial development require systemic approaches as well as innovative, collaborative, transformational and flexible solutions. UNIDO value addition is based on its needs driven, tailored solutions. In cooperation with the United Nations development system at the global, regional and country levels, it prioritizes evidence-based programming, prominently in the context of the Programme for Country Partnerships. Thought leadership and convening of global partners remain vital approaches to boost cooperation for ISID, with a special focus on expanding collaboration with the private sector as a key player to catalyse transformative solutions. Tapping into its pool of specialists, the Organization offers its partners a wide range of co-created and co-owned solutions. UNIDO´s comprehensive approach promotes industrial development in which women, youth, marginalized and vulnerable groups in society equally lead, participate in, and benefit from economic transformation.