United Nations in Albania

The current Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021 combines the expertise of 17 UN Agencies with increased synergies, efficiency and effectiveness, to enhance their contributions to Albania’s development, achievement of the SDGs and the EU Integration Agenda. These are the goals the UN is working on in Albania:

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15 October 2020

UN launches programme to increasing women resilience and protecting children in post-earthquake Albania

The United Nations Resident Coordinator to Albania Fiona McCluney and the Swedish Ambassador Elsa Håstad signed today a two million-euro programme that will support the protection and recovery of children, women and girls affected by November 2019 earthquake. The programe will be implemented by UN Women and UNICEF. “UN Women will be working on women resilience, supporting women participation in recovery processes while UNICEF will be working on child protection. It is an agreement that contributes to post-earthquake recovery as part of the SDG Acceleration Fund,” said UN Resident Coordinator in Albania, Fiona McCluney. Sweden is one of the contributors of the UN programmes that are supporting the Albanian Government post-earthquake recovery efforts together with Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and United Kingdom. “We are happy to contribute and be a partner with UN in Albania”, said Swedish Ambassador in Albania, Elsa Hastad. The intervention will focus on some of the most affected communities such as Shijak, Durres, Shkodra, Kruja, Tirana, Kamza, Vora, Kavaja, Rrogozhina, Kurbin, and Mirdita.

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07 January 2021

Orange the World Campaign in Albania: Listen, Believe, and Support Survivors of Violence

From trainings in self-defense to real-life stories of survivors of violence, from awareness-raising meetings with various religious communities to donations by the private sector - a wide array of over three hundred activities and events were organized in Albania, appealing to ‘listen, believe and support’ survivors of violence. The Government of Albania, UN Agencies, women’s and youth organizations, media and private sector joined the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. UN Women organized a number of events commencing on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, through to 10 December, Human Rights Day, with the financial support of the Swedish Government and the European Union. Like in the previous years, buildings such as the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the UN House and the Cloud were lit up in orange, in support of the call for a brighter future where women and girls can live free from violence. “Let us end violence against women! This shadow pandemic needs to be brought to an end as soon as possible! Every woman saved from violence is a success story that allows us to say: We did it!” said Albanian Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ogerta Manastirliu at the opening ceremony of the campaign. "Women and girls who are survivors of violence deserve a better and safer life, free from violence and fear" was the message of a video produced by the Observatory for Children’s Rights in Albania as part of the project “Data collection on gender stereotypes and public perceptions of gender roles and attitudes towards violence against women”. The video was supported by the EU-UN Women regional programme on Ending Violence against Women "Implementing Norms, Changing Minds." To mark the International Day of Human Right’s in the context of 16 Days of Activism, a tailored video was launched by UNDP to raise public awareness on the sexual violence. The video focuses on the profiles of sexual violence victims and addresses widely dominated stereotypes around sexual violence as a phenomenon, providing useful information on where to find help. Additionally, informative fast-facts leaflets were disseminated, highlighting available services for victims of gender-based and domestic violence during COVID-19 pandemic UN Women organized a first training of trainers’ course on empowerment and self-defense for fourteen social workers and activists from women's organizations, who described the experience as ‘life-changing’. “My life would have been different if I had done this training when I was fifteen,” said one of the participants. Now Albania has the first generation of self-defense instructors who will go on to provide training and support to survivors of violence, as well as to women and girls generally. The training of trainers was conducted in collaboration with Aikido Albania and ESD Global Self-Defense. "It was an inspiring training. I am so proud of the team on the ground and our partnership with Aikido Albania and UN Women. We planned, adapted, and worked hard to bring empowerment to women in Albania. I am so proud of the work we do! It’s all about planting seeds and nurturing them. I believe ESD has a strong future in Albanian because the women who were just trained are those very seeds," said Yehudit Zicklin-Sidikman, Founder and President of ESD Global Inc. An audiovisual exhibition with the real-life stories of ten women survivors of violence was on display in Durrës. These success stories, illustrated by several paintings are also part of a book entitled “Ten women, ten life stories that inspire the world,” published by women’s rights activist Elga Mitre. UNDP published a booklet featuring 8 life stories of sexual and domestic violence victims supported with specialized integrated services by all relevant first line service providers, members of CRMs, CSOs, LILIUM Center. 150 private companies, institutions, and civil society organizations joined for the first time in the 16 Days of Activism online, by turning their virtual spaces and logos orange. They delivered messages of support to survivors of violence and joined in the call for action to prevent and put an end to violence against women and girls during this unprecedented time. Some companies responded to UN Women call to make donations to shelters of abused women and girls. Read More Civil society organizations that are first responders to the needs of women and girls during, as well as pre- and post-COVID-19 crisis organized dozens of informative meetings, both online and offline, encouraging women and girls to report violence even though the pandemic has made access to services difficult. UNDP as part of the UN's joint programme 'Ending Violence against women in Albania', in cooperation with MoHSP, local government and civil society organizations run multiple events to raise awareness on GBV-VAW that reached over 104,000 people across the country. Six municipalities with UNDP support launched online art competitions through essays, paintings aiming at engaging girls and boys to address issues of GBV and DV. Other municipalities organized a series of awareness activities in schools targeting pupils and other activities targeting women and men”aiming to promote equality and ending violence in family. Around 1,556 young girls and boys, women and men participated in these awareness events with messages on ending VAW and addressing gender stereotypes and other forms of discrimination. The Women’s Forum in Elbasan organized three public discussions with religious communities in a number of suburban townships. They focused on the importance of talking to boys and men on how they can express their emotions and avoid violence. 18 Coordinated Referral Mechanisms used widely the social media for community outreach purposes to provide victims of gender based and domestic violence with relevant information where to seek help and report violence. Furthermore, targeted municipalities posted in social media platforms informative posters on the Coordinated Referral Mechanism and also phone numbers to report and seek help. Over 117,603 people were reached through CRMs’ social media channels. The Human Rights in Democracy Center organized trainings on the role of health professionals, police officers and teachers in preventing and reporting domestic violence in rural areas and schools on the outskirts of the capital Tirana. Women and girls from these communities participated in information sessions about the different forms of violence and support services available to them and were encouraged to report violence. The activities of the Gender Alliance for Development Center focused on informing the public at large on the recent amendments to the domestic law on domestic violence. These new provisions aim at a better protection for victims and survivors and their dependents by providing for the immediate removal of the perpetrator of violence from the home. In addition, the law provides for the obligation of the perpetrator to attend psychosocial rehabilitation programs or a parenting program. Other events included: a webinar on gender stereotypes in the media with experience sharing from Italy; a regional webinar on the prevention of violence against women with disabilities; a nationwide social media campaign on the detection of early signs of abuse in a relationship and the identification of different types of stalking behavior and patriarchal gender norms.

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22 September 2020

UN75: The Future We Want, The UN We Need

In January 2020, the United Nations launched the global consultation to mark its 75th anniversary. Through surveys and dialogues, it asked people about their hopes and fears for the future – representing the UN’s most ambitious effort to date to understand expectations of international cooperation and of the UN in particular. It is also the largest survey to date on priorities for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 21 September 2020, over a million people from all countries and all walks of life had taken part. Their answers provide unique insights into what the public wants at this challenging time for the world. They are released today to coincide with the UN General Assembly’s official commemoration of the 75th anniversary, held under the banner: the future we want, the UN we need. Key findings include: Priorities for action Across regions, ages and social groups, respondents were broadly united in their priorities for the future. Amid the current COVID-19 crisis, the immediate priority for most respondents is improved access to basic services – healthcare, safe water, sanitation and education, followed by greater international solidarity and increased support to those hardest hit. This includes tackling inequalities and rebuilding a more inclusive economy. Looking to the future, the overwhelming concerns are the climate crisis and the destruction of our natural environment. Other priorities include: ensuring greater respect for human rights, settling conflicts, tackling poverty and reducing corruption. Perceptions of the UN Over 87% of respondents believe global cooperation is vital to deal with today’s challenges, and that the pandemic has made international cooperation more urgent. Seventy-five years after its founding, six in 10 respondents believe the UN has made the world a better place. Looking to the future, 74% see the UN as “essential” in tackling the challenges. However, respondents want the UN to change and innovate: to be more inclusive of the diversity of actors in the 21st century, and to become more transparent, accountable and effective. People are thinking big – they are also expressing an intense yearning for international cooperation and global solidarity. Now is the time to respond to these aspirations and realize these aims. In this 75th anniversary year, we face our own 1945 moment. We must meet that moment. We must show unity like never before to overcome today’s emergency, get the world moving and working and prospering again, and uphold the vision of the Charter.” - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Full report and press kit: https://www.un.org/un75/presskit Join the conversation: www.un75.online

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18 June 2021

Integrated social and health care services -a people centered innovative model of service delivery

Life was hard for Violeta and her family in their little village Kabash, two hours drive from the town of Puka. Everything was in a hard-to reach distance; the health clinic, the hospital, the Administrative Unit. With tear-filled eyes she remembers one time when her little daughter collapsed and hardly regained conscious with no nearby hospital to take her to. Days after, she sadly learned that both her daughters were born with mental health issues and congenital heart disease. Both needed specialized medical care-which was accessible only in town. Violeta’s husband was for years, diagnosed with asthma — making it difficult for him to provide for the family. They hardly made a living through cultivating the soil and growing crops. Being left with no other way out, Violeta’s family moved to the town of Puka to be closer to health facilities so that both her daughters and husband could access medical care services. How do communities receive assistance? Health stands at the foundation of a person’s well-being. Good health enables people to work and participate fully in their communities and support themselves financially. Statistics point to the fact that poor health reduces people’s employment prospects and working hours and increases the likelihood of early retirement and falling into poverty at an old age. In the context of the Joint United Nations Programme “Improving Municipal Social Protection Service Delivery” funded by the Sustainable Development Goals Global Fund, UNDP in partnership with Puka Municipality and “Youth Movement for Democracy “ — a civil society operating in the region, is piloting a model of integrated social care and health services. This intervention is boosting access to mobile health and psycho-social services for children with disabilities living in the remote areas of Puka. Services offered include home physiotherapy, speech therapy and psycho social services. In parallel, the project implements capacity building interventions targeting health and psycho-social workers at local level focusing on how to administer integrated services and work in multidisciplinary teams. Violeta was so happy when she learned of these services offered in Puka and soon her family became one of the beneficiaries. Initially a social and economic needs assessment was done for each member of her family including an assessment of the health and medical needs. Her daughters were supported to follow school regularly and were donated technological equipment to help improve their studies and encourage further learning. Moreover, the family was assisted to get disability living allowance and assistance from the social care basket of services. Thanks to the programme, about 700 people across Albania have benefited from pilot integrated social and health care services. Previously this service was totally missing. “ Integrated health and social services represent an innovative approach to service delivery at the local level, targeting population at risk of being left behind. These services should be based on a well-defined and unified understanding of the role of each actor by referring to available instructions in identifying and managing individual and group cases. The development of guidelines and protocols for integrated health and social services should be a priority. Tailoring services to the needs of vulnerable population is vital” Limya Eltayeb, UNDP Resident Representative Leave no one behind is the moral principle of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. Violeta’s daughters and hundreds of other people are seeing the Goals on paper, translated into tangible impact in their lives. This is development. The United Nations Joint Programme “Improving Municipal Social Protection Service Delivery” is funded by the Sustainable Development Goals Global Fund and is implemented by UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women and WHO.

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16 March 2021

The International Labour Organization (ILO) with the support of the Government of Sweden provides cash transfers for laid-off women workers in the textile and footwear sectors

The Coronavirus pandemic has had an immense impact on the world of work, including the textile, clothing, leather and footwear industry. A high number of factories reduced production or suspended it temporarily; some of them closed down. This led to subsequent bouts of unemployment and layoffs for a large number of poor workers, primarily women, who were left without any source of income and fell below the poverty line. In response to the crises, the International Labour Organization, with the financial support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, is implementing a cash transfer programme for women who were laid-off by textile, clothing, leather and footwear companies. As a first step, the ILO designed a fair and efficient identification mechanism for the beneficiaries. In line with EU practices, this was done in close cooperation with the social partners in Albania, BiznesAlbania, the Albanian Confederation of Trade Unions (KSSH), and the Albanian Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (BSPSH), in order to ensure that the most vulnerable women, who were highly impacted by the crisis, would have access to the resources available under the project through the cash transfer. Among the over 420 beneficiaries who were identified, more than 250 already received the cash transfer. Most of the beneficiaries are women above 50 years of age, facing difficulties in reintegrating into the labour market. Many of them are single heads of the household or part of large households (five or more persons), with additional family responsibilities decreasing their ability to work. In the first group of beneficiaries, there are three persons with disabilities. The cash transfers are distributed by EasyPay, an e-banking institution. This service offered basic financial literacy and supported free-of-charge accounts for un-banked women, and enabled transfers to be made even to remote regions. Mrs. Kujtime Leshanaku, one of the beneficiaries of the ILO intervention says: “I have been working for seven years in different textile factories. When the pandemic hit, I lost my job. Since then my phone calls, applications and search efforts have been countless and I never received a positive response. The financial support that the ILO and SIDA provided came as great help for me and my family in many aspects, not just the economic one. It inspired us to start over.” Alongside with the Covid-19 cash transfers programme, the ILO is supporting ten textile and footwear companies with establishing better conditions for a safe return to work. Furthermore, in light of the expected recurrence of the health crisis for the forthcoming months, some actions are being taken to improve business continuity and the productivity of jobs in the industry.

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01 April 2021

"You Don’t Have to Be a Migrant to Understand"

Ghalia has been a migrant since 2006, when she left her native Algeria to study in Spain - and where she fell in love. Six years later she moved to Albania with her husband. “I can’t express how much difficult was the beginning. I used to live in a well-developed Algerian rural area with more than 5,000 inhabitants and I ended up in a very poor Albanian village with just 13 households, with almost no facilities, no roads, no transportation. It was extremely difficult for me,” she recalls. Despite the warm welcome, when the couple moved to the capital Tirana their problems persisted. All Ghalia wanted was a job with purpose. Finally, in 2018 she spotted an advertisement from a local NGO looking for a translator for migrants from the Middle East and Arabic countries. “I was moved immediately by this call. Something beyond the job position was calling me, the desire to serve to those in need, to migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers” she says. The fact that she is fluent in Berber, Arabic, Spanish, English, Albanian and French meant she was the top candidate and finally found her calling. In 2019 she moved to IOM, supporting people who wish to return home, counselling, translating, offering information to migrants and guiding them through the different process. She loves her work, but finds working with refugees, migrants and people on the move to be extremely challenging. “You have to be strong and compassionate enough to hear the stories of people who are victims of trafficking, victims of war, torture, extreme poverty. You meet unaccompanied children and unprotected women, people in deep need for health services, food, clothes and other basic needs. “You don’t need to be a migrant to feel and understand them, it’s enough to be a human being.” She is also involved with integration, and she especially loves to see new lives begin as migrant and refugee families take root in Albania. “The most beautiful moments for me have been when assisting pregnant women in their routine health checks, meeting with doctors, going to the hospital and witnessing the newborns coming into their families,” she smiles. Work became difficult during the first lockdown in March last year. “it was challenging to as we were not allowed to move. We communicated with our clients through the phone and internet trying to offer information and guidance. “Although the number of the refugees decreased during the COVID time, the health needs and the risk was much higher. They had no idea how to protect themselves, no masks, no protection at all. It was really hard,” says Ghalia. This is something that has been addressed by IOM, who provide medical advice, medication and health supplies to 217 refugees and asylum-seekers in Tirana from April 2020 to December 2021.

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01 April 2021

Women frontline pioneers working with migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees in Albania

“Being a woman is not always easy. A lot is expected of us, in the family, in society and at work. Loving your job, treating the people you serve with dignity, putting passion and heart there makes the difference.” Those are the words of Klara, who has been working with Albanian State Police since 2015. The mother of an eight-year-old boy works at the Border Crossing Point, Kakavija, Gjirokastra, in the south of Albania where a Temporary Reception Center has been established by IOM in 2020 with EU support Despite COVID – 19 she must perform her daily tasks in compliance with the required standards: processing travelers, including vulnerable migrants, victims of trafficking, and unaccompanied children. These people are then referred by Klara to receive appropriate services and protection. The pandemic has posed challenges to all, and in particular to frontline staff, receiving and processing migrants. “We are there to quickly process, identify vulnerabilities and evaluate the situation to decide the best referral path to protection here in Albania”, she says. *** “Focus on the Solution” “Focus on the solution not the problem”. That’s the mantra of Eneda, a medical officer in the emergency department of the Regional Hospital in Gjirokastra. She’s has been working there for five years, providing medical screening and health services to migrants at the Kakavija Border Crossing Point and in the temporary reception centre for migrants in Gerhot. “Assisting to refugees and asylum seekers is challenging in pandemic conditions, but the challenges are manageable when the team comes together and focuses on protection efforts for vulnerable individuals,” adds Eneda. “We are challenged every day, and at the same time we are encouraged every day, by having the opportunity to help people in need, but being there to listen, offer information and basic needs to them. Our biggest reward is when we receive a smile back from other children, women and men, and elderly people. Every day I remind to myself that everyone could be in their place: me, my children, my family”. Impact of project support and value of partnership IOM has been supporting the Albanian authorities by provided with clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on detection, screening and management of ill travelers for Points of Entry approved by Albanian State Police; 62,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been donated to Albanian Government to ensure safe continuity of the activities; installed and equipped medical ambulatory/COVID-19 isolation ward containers in the border crossing point; installation of accommodation containers and sanitary facilities for 18 people to align the facility with COVID-19 protocols in place in Albania followed with hand-washing stations were established and TV screens installed to continuously display information on COVID-19 measures. These actions aimed to protect migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and other vulnerable persons by ensuring that systems and services in place are supported, reinforced and can be quickly adapted to the measures that must be implemented in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Partnership and joint efforts are of significant importance while providing protection to vulnerable categories. Health, social services, civil society actors, NGOs and IOs all are coordinated through local mechanisms established at Prefecture level to ensure effective coordination and mobilization of resources.

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Press Release

25 August 2021

Albanian judges use International Labour Standards in court decisions

The ILO and the International Training Center of the ILO, together with the Albanian School of Magistrates, trained 50 Albanian judges and candidate magistrates on International Labour Standards (ILS) and how to use them in domestic case law. ILS are a source of labour law and a guide for judges on how to interpret labour law, strengthen court decisions or settle labour disputes. The ILO training was organized by the "Access to Justice in Labour Law Disputes through Mediation and Conciliation" project, funded by the Government of Sweden.

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Press Release

29 July 2021

Switzerland and United Nations agree on continuing support for social inclusion in Albania through the ‘Leave No One Behind’ programme

The Government of Switzerland and the United Nations sign the agreement on the 2nd phase of United Nations Joint Programme “Leave No One Behind" (LNB). Through the new agreement Switzerland supports the programme with 8 million Swiss francs for the period 2021-2025. “Albania is making steps towards a social protection system that ensures that no one is left behind. Switzerland and UN partners encourage an effective social protection system and are supporting Albania in its efforts. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted even more the need for strong social protection in order to have an adequate response for vulnerable groups. This new commitment will serve to continue our support to Albania’s social care and social services system”, said Swiss Ambassador Adrian Maître. “The mission of this project, gets into the heart of several SDGs ( such as SDG 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 16), while the programme’s intention is to bring about systemic change in the area of social protection and social inclusion in Albania”, said Ms. Fiona McCluney, UN Resident Coordinator in Albania. The UN Resident Coordinator emphasized that in the next phase, focus will be given to the consolidation of the Social Care reform, working in close partnership with the central and local government, civil society, the latter an essential partner for the delivery and the achievement of the LNB programme goals. The two cross-cutting principles orienting the programme are governance and gender equality as an articulation of human rights principles. In this phase of implementation the programme will continue to focus on vulnerable persons and groups to have improved access to public services that support their social inclusion, and well-being, and are empowered to have a voice in public policy decision-making affecting their lives, as well as hold decision-makers accountable for policy implementation. It strives to do so by aiming at three main objectives: (1) Empowered vulnerable people The programme builds on the tangible results achieved in the first phase that positively affected the lives of vulnerable communities, demonstrating increased and more equitable investment in people, removing barriers, and creating opportunities for those at risk of exclusion. More concretely: The project positively affected the lives of 192,351 vulnerable people, 14,858 of which people with disabilities, and 15,872 Roma & Egyptian community members. 36 municipalities were supported in preparing and implementing social care plans; 8,352 local professionals trained and currently providing all-inclusive social services; 25 municipalities supported to establish and provide community-based social services. 63,630 people were supported during COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Leave No One Behind’ programme supports the Government of Albania’s efforts to improve the social services system in Albania and it is jointly implemented by four UN Agencies, UNDP in the lead, UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women in close partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and municipalities. The programme is part of Swiss cooperation programme with Albania in the area of governance and social inclusion.

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Press Release

23 July 2021

The European Commission and the ILO join forces to support young people

The European Commission (EC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have joined forces to support the institutions responsible for youth employment policy in the Western Balkans in introducing a youth guarantee (YG). The European Training Foundation (ETF) is also a partner in the realization of interventions. Inspired by similar schemes in the EU Member States, a youth guarantee is a commitment to support every young person under the age of 30 who is not employed, in education or training (so-called NEETs). This commitment entitles young people to receive a good quality offer of employment, traineeship, apprenticeship, or continued education within four months of leaving school or becoming unemployed. The EC/ILO support includes the adaptation of the youth guarantee to the Western Balkans through policy, programming and monitoring support, advanced training, and peer-learning across Western Balkans and EU. This EC/ILO Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) comes after the second EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Meeting on Employment and Social Affairs on 8 July, at which ministers and representatives responsible for employment endorsed a Declaration on ensuring sustainable labour market integration of young people. The Declaration recognises the disproportionate negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the labour market situation of young people and spells out a commitment to gradually implement youth guarantees in the region. The Declaration takes inspiration from the EU Council Recommendation of 30 October 2020 on A Bridge to Jobs – Reinforcing the Youth Guarantee. Young people are bearing the brunt of the massive economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, youth employment fell by 8.7 per cent in 2020 compared with 3.7 per cent for adults. An examination of the share of young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) provides a snapshot of young people’s overall vulnerability to the economic situation. Simply stated, if the employment rate goes down, either the NEET rate or the educational participation rate (or both) must increase. Clearly, a reduction of employment compensated by an increase in education is, in principle, more desirable than an increase in NEET rates. However, in the Western Balkans, the loss of employment and the rise in inactivity has not – in general – been offset by a return to education. In Montenegro, for instance, four out of five young people who lost their job became inactive rather than unemployed, but did not go back to education. NEET rates in the Western Balkan economies remained above the pre-crisis level throughout 2020, although in some cases they declined from their peak in 2020Q2, thanks to the measures implemented. In Serbia, one out of five young people fall within the NEET category, but it can be as high as one out of three in other parts of the region. The ILO has called on governments for action to prevent short-term exit of youth from the labour market turning into long-term exclusion for a generation of young people. The implementation of a youth guarantee could help in avoiding long-term scarring effects, i.e. the increased likelihood of more spells of unemployment or inactivity, lower earning prospects, and lower chances of obtaining a good quality job. The ILO is a specialised technical agency that leads the action of the United Nations system on employment and the world of work. This partnership with the European Commission to facilitate the establishment of youth guarantees in the Western Balkans builds on the previous EC/ILO Joint Action on the Youth Guarantee targeted at EU member states. It contributes to achieving the objectives set out in the EC’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans (EIP) in October 2020. The EIP promotes long-term economic recovery, a green and digital transition, regional integration, and convergence with the European Union; it includes a flagship initiative on the Youth Guarantee with a view to offering better perspectives to young people and mitigating the brain drain

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Press Release

22 July 2021

Albania shapes a pathway for sustainable food systems of the country - the final Member State Dialogue of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.

Albania has concluded the Member State Dialogue of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit by holding the final National Dialogue “From food, nutrition, and health, to equitable, resilient and sustainable food systems in Albania.” The final Dialogue has been a meaningful opportunity to involve and engage with key actors of the food systems in the country to consolidate the outputs from the past national and sub-national Dialogues which has been organized in preparation for the 2021 Summit and identify the intentions and commitments to taking action to improve the national food systems. The Dialogue was held in a hybrid way, combining in-person and online participants, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in close cooperation with FAO and the United Nations Country Team in Albania and well attended by UN Resident Coordinator in Albania, representatives of UNDP and UN Women in Albania, experts from academia, and relevant Ministries. Appreciating the opportunity of welcoming the guests and participants at the final National Dialogue, Ms Milva Ekonomi, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, delivered speech focusing on the great weight of the agriculture sector in the gross domestic product, as well as the needs for modernization and digitalization of the sector to improve the food systems of the country. Ms Ekonomi stated that the Dialogues have been extraordinary opportunity for all to contribute to the definition of the paths that will lead to the "collectively strengthened" Sustainable Food Systems, to make this vision a reality for all. The purpose of the National Dialogues in Albania was set in line with the Food Systems Summit to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food within the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "In the framework of the UN Summit, we as a country confirm our maximum commitment to meeting Sustainable Development Goals, taking into account climate change and the presence of pandemics such as COVID-19," said the Minister Ekonomi. "To join the UN call for a world where no one should be left hungry, poor and malnourished, the need arise to build systems capable of meeting the challenges of the time, as reflected in the new national strategy for agricultural development. Therefore, the recommendations and outcomes from this roundtable will be of importance to the strategy development of the sector," concluded the Minister Ekonomi. Praising the successful series of Dialogues with high participation from wide range of sectors, Ms Fiona McCluney, the UN Resident Coordinator in Albania, hoped that the pathway will continue to be developed by and be of use to national stakeholders as further advance in the journey to food systems sustainability of the country. "Important keys of sustainable food systems should be the provision of sufficient, safe, healthy, nutritious and affordable food that meets the nutritional needs of all, including children and adolescents. While providing safe and nutritious food, sustainable food systems should foster inclusive economic development and social equality, and provide adequate incentives and returns to food producers, processors and distributors,” Ms McCluney emphasized. She added that sustainable food systems also should optimize the use of natural resources and protect the environment through sustainable agricultural practices, efficient and safe food value chains and reductions in food loss and waste. Ms Ermira Gjeci, the National Dialogue Convenor has expressed the willingness to build partnerships with multi-sectoral and multi-level stakeholders and promote education on the sustainable food system, food safety and nutrition to make behaviour change of producers as well as consumers, and to address the real challenges of food systems in Albania. The consolidated outputs and conclusions presented by the discussants will be presented at the Pre-Summit, where Albania will be represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Milva Ekonomi. The Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit will take place in Rome from 26–28 July 2021.

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Press Release

08 July 2021

FAO and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development together for women’s empowerment in agriculture

FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development signed in a virtual ceremony the agreement on Gender Rural Equality and Tourism project (GREAT) that contributes to rural women's empowerment in Albania and strengthens its role and contribution in community in context of Agenda 2030. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Milva Ekonomi, emphasized the importance of the project in strengthening rural women's capacity and their development in businesses. "The project will provide training for rural advisory services, Agricultural Technology Transfer Centers, municipal authorities and gender-related services related to the value chain and agritourism," said Minister Ekonomi. During her speech, minister expressed that the formation of gender equal group on a local action will be another priority of the project added that the Local Action Group Law, which will be passed in the Parliament very soon to strengthen the role of women in the rural development. For the next phase, minister added that is planning to build three incubators of traditional products that women have opportunity to gather and promote the value chain among other women in rural areas. "The project is based on best practices applied in other countries and tries to extend them in the Albanian context by implementing innovative approaches aimed at promoting the co-manager of farms and increasing the capacity of rural advisory services at the local level to provide gender-responsive services for rural tourism, agribusiness and value chain development", stressed FAO Representative in Albania Raimund Jehle. FAO would work closely with national authorities to design and implement a gender-responsive legal and policy framework that will contribute to the sustainable economic empowerment of rural women. The total budget of the GREAT project is 1 million 350 thousand Euros and is implemented by UN Women, the Italian Cooperation and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, where the component implemented by FAO is 678 thousand dollars.
"FAO will advocate for women staff in rural service delivery and introduce gender equality in new service delivery. There are social, cultural and trade barriers for women moving up the value chain. Therefore, work will be focused in promoting the untapped potential and value of the role of women in agriculture and the benefits it can bring to the rural economy through awareness and dedicated campaigns," highlighted Jehle. GREAT project will assist rural women in capacity building and business creation, self-organizing and registering as local groups and improving their funding opportunities. Value chains of local and traditional products with a strong commitment and perspective of rural women will be selected in each implementation area to add value to the final product, strengthen collaborative work, improve market access and strengthen the role of rural women in agriculture and rural development. The project contributes to the FAO Strategic Framework for rural poverty reduction, equal access to productive resources, services, organizations and markets, sustainability, Country Programming Framework, policy support, capacity development, and knowledge development accelerate gender equality and economic empowerment of rural women in line with the Regional Initiative 1.

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