UN Joint Programme “Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania” (LEAP)

The Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania (LEAP) UN Joint Programme, funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund is a strategic intervention designed to enhance social protection systems and employment opportunities for marginalized populations in Albania. This programme addresses critical socio-economic challenges, including high youth unemployment, poverty, and inadequate access to quality care services. With a focus on children, youth, women, elderly and families, LEAP aims to implement a Universal Child Benefit (UCB) and integrated care and economic empowerment management strategies to improve the quality and accessibility of employment and protection services. The UN Joint programme is funded by  UN Joint SDG Fund and implemented by UNDP ( as lead agency) in cooperation with UNICEF, UN Women and ILO.   

Background 
Albania, classified as an upper-middle-income country, faces significant developmental hurdles such as economic diversification, and social exclusion. The demographic shift, marked by a decline in the population of children aged 0-14 from 21.6% in 2011 to 16.3% in 2022, poses future labor market challenges. Approximately 25% of young people are categorized as NEET (not in education, employment, or training), exacerbating labor market difficulties. Furthermore, 27.4% of children live in poverty compared to 20.6% of the general population.  The 2023 Census shows that almost one in five persons (19.7 percent) is 65 years of age or older, compared to one in nine persons (11.3 percent) in the 2011 Census. The transition of the population towards a much older population structure is also observed in the dependency ratios. The young-age dependency ratio decreased to 24.0 percent – from 30.4 percent in 2011 – and the old-age dependency ratio increased to 30.4 percent – from 16.7 percent in 2011. The rise in the geriatric population and the increase in life expectancy impels the need for services. The unmet needs of older adults and of persons with disabilities also contribute to the industry growth over the upcoming years and the need to invest in long term care skills development, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive social protection systems.

The LEAP programme seeks to extend social protection coverage and integrate systems that enhance service quality for children, youth, women, elderly and families. By investing in social protection—currently at 9.6% of GDP compared to the EU average of 20.5%—the programme aims to create a sustainable fiscal space for child-focused investments.
The LEAP Albania programme represents a comprehensive approach to addressing pressing socio-economic challenges through integrated social protection systems and targeted employment initiatives. By focusing on marginalized populations—particularly children, women, youth and the elderly—the programme aims to foster sustainable development aligned with national priorities and global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals, by demonstrating a life-cycle-approach. 

Through collaboration among diverse stakeholders, LEAP seeks to create a more inclusive society that supports long-term socio-economic resilience in Albania.
In June 2023, Albania committed to joining the Global Accelerator initiative focused on enhancing jobs and social protection systems. The roadmap emphasizes four key entry points:

Strengthening adaptive social protection for persons with disabilities.
Building an inclusive social protection system for economic security.
Increasing private sector involvement in vocational education programs.
Ensuring sustainable financing for employment initiatives.

LEAP joint programme, as part of this roadmap aligns with national strategies aimed at improving employment rates and lifelong learning participation by 2030.
This joint programme is supported by the Joint SDG Fund. We sincerely appreciate the contributions from the European Union and the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland in accelerating progress towards the SDGs.

Objectives
Extended Coverage and Integrated Social Protection: To enhance the quality and accessibility of social protection services for children and families through initiatives such as the UCB, integrated care management strategies, and innovative Long-Term Care (LTC) models.
Increased Employability: To improve access to decent work opportunities for marginalized groups, particularly women and youth, by providing targeted employment and skills development services that align with local labor market demands.

The LEAP programme is structured around two interrelated outcomes
1.    Integrated Social Protection System: This outcome will lead to an extended coverage of social protection services, focusing on child benefits, family support, and enhanced quality of care services. 
UNDP key interventions include:
Development of innovative Long-Term Care models
Provision of integrated social care services for families in need
Capacity building for care professionals
2.    Enhanced Employability for Marginalized Groups: this outcome will improve access to decent work opportunities for marginalized groups, particularly women and youth, by providing targeted employment and skills development services that align with local labor market demands.

UNDP key interventions include:
Targeted employment services for social assistance beneficiaries
Skills development initiatives tailored to the hospitality and tourism sectors
Establishment of partnerships among public and private providers to facilitate job transitions
These outcomes align with national priorities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work), and SDG 16 (Peace).

Expected direct beneficiaries include:
Economic aid for 700 households with integrated care support.
Employment support for 530 women and youth transitioning into the hospitality and care sector.
Skills training for 500 at-risk youth aged 14-17.
Capacity building for 250 professionals in care services.
1500 children benefit from the universal progressive home visit. 

Duration: December 2024- Nov 2026
Budget: $ 2,152,537 total budget
$ 1,799,172 UN SDG Fund;     $ 160,000 UNDP;     $ 143,365 UNICEF;     $ 50,000 ILO    $36,000 UN Women
Donor/partner: UN Joint SDG Fund, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO
Implementing agency/ies: Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Ministry of Health and Social Protection

Participating UN Organizations: UNDP (lead), UNICEF, ILO, UN Women 
Location: Albania, regions of Tirana, Shkodra, Korçë and Elbasan