Voice into Vision: Albania and the United Nations Are Building a New Partnership

This story reflects on the process of designing Albania’s new United Nations partnership agreement  — the 2027–2031 Cooperation Framework that will succeed the current 2022–2026 cycle on 1 January 2027, guiding the work of the United Nations in Albania for the next five years.

In early 2025, the United Nations in Albania launched a structured, year‑long process with the government to co-design and agree the next Cooperation Framework (CF) — grounded in data, analysis, foresight, independent evaluation and the voices of the people across the country. 

The process unfolded in four phases. 

First, evaluation and analysis. Between April and September 2025, an independent evaluation was undertaken of the current 2022–2026 Cooperation Framework. The consultancy team engaged over 200 stakeholders, generating an in-depth, evidence-based assessment of what has worked and the areas for improvement, whilst also recommending areas and actions  where the United Nations Albania team could be most effective, efficient and impactful in support of acceleration sustainable development in partnership with the country during the coming five years. A comprehensive internal analysis was simultaneously undertaken between July and December 2025 — which involved a systems-level examination of Albania's development landscape, including three focused consultations, a nationwide U-Report poll engaging 81 young people on their priorities, and identification of 13 structural leverage points where UN action can make the greatest difference. 

Second, joint prioritization. Working together with the State Agency of Strategic Programming and Aid Coordination (SASPAC) and the EU Chief Negotiator's Office, the UN in Albania engaged the government in a structured prioritization process initially centered on the next phase of the local SDG Acceleration Fund in Albania. Based on these consultations, three flagship initiatives were agreed that build on the current Framework Agreement. This in-depth process also helped inform the emerging priorities of the new Agreement: Future-Ready Skills and Learning for 21st Century Jobs, Next-Generation Social Systems, and Green Economy, Competitiveness and Private Sector Support. 

Third, UNCT Prioritization and Partnership Retreat. On 24–25 November 2025, the UN Country Team came together to stress-test the emerging Cooperation Framework architecture and for a dialogue with the senior representatives of the Government, EU Delegation and the World Bank Group in Albania. The retreat confirmed the three-pillar structure of the new Framework, sharpened the UN's collective positioning on the government’s main national priority of EU accession, and generated a shared understanding with government and partners on where the UN can add the greatest value over the next five years. 

Fourth, broad consultations. During January and February 2026, the UN in Albania convened ten focus-group style consultations with key stakeholder groups — civil society, youth, Roma and Egyptian communities, persons with disabilities, women's organizations, the media, the private sector, development partners, government counterparts, and economists — engaging over 430 participants  across Albania. 

The consultations also included formal government engagements, including the Joint Executive Committee co-convened by the Deputy Prime Minister and United Nations Resident Coordinator with Ministers across 9 portfolios and a co-convened consultation by the Director General of SASPAC with state and municipal authorities across 30 portfolios.  

Together with the Cooperation Framework consultations, consultations for the new Country Programme Documents (CPDs) of UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA in Albania were also included in this process and wherever possible, the teams endeavored to find ways to align, combine and reduce duplications. This process was highly appreciated by our busy stakeholders, generating a more efficient and targeted process and strengthening the alignment of national priorities with the overall UN’s collective vision for sustainable development in Albania. 

What We Heard: Voices Across Albania

“Consultations are an essential part of designing our new Cooperation Framework 2027-2031 — they are critical to building a shared vision grounded in people’s lived realities and responding to stakeholders’ needs and perspectives. Our task is to listen deeply, bring voices together, and ensure the next UN–Albania Cooperation Framework truly reflects the priorities, hopes, and addresses the challenges being faced by  the people it serves” - says Ingrid Macdonald, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Albania.

Civil Society: Rights, Space, and Accountability

On 28 January 2026, 103 representatives of Albanian civil society organizations gathered for the first public consultation in the process. Their message was clear and consistent: the UN must be a steadfast advocate for a rights-based approaches, a convenor and protector of civic space, and for stronger monitoring of country’s commitments on human rights and rule of law. Participants asked the UN to support civil society's own capacity to engage meaningfully in EU integration processes, including in the preparation of shadow reports and advocacy.

The UN was asked to stand with civil society — to help facilitate opportunities for their participation and voice.

Civil society representatives emphasized the need for stronger advocacy on rights-based issues, more inclusive health and social services, disability inclusion, gender equality, and youth engagement. They proposed clear recommendations of how the UN could play a proactive role in supporting advocacy, strengthening local capacities, and ensuring vulnerable groups are not left behind as Albania advances toward Agenda 2030 and EU accession. 

“We need strong UN support in advocacy efforts to defend health rights and ensure rights-based approaches are upheld.” — Gentiana Hasalla, Albanian Center for Population and Development

Youth: ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ 

Young Albanians brought urgency and specificity to the table. They raised various concerns about an education system that they felt prepares students for a labour market that no longer exists — participants described how the system prioritizes rote learning over critical thinking, and credentials over competencies. They called for the UN to champion a fundamental redesign of learning pathways, aligned with the skills that Albania's EU accession journey and green economy transition will require.

Critically, young people called for the UN in Albania to support meaningful  youth participation platforms: spaces where youth voices shape decisions. They expressed frustration with engagement processes that invite their input but don’t always demonstrate how they influenced outcomes. They asked the UN to model the change it calls for, by making youth co-design a standard feature of joint programming. The call for ‘Nothing About Us Without Us was clear.’

“Youth participation is too often symbolic rather than substantive. We expect the UN to help facilitate genuine platforms where young people can influence decisions.” — Youth consultation participant

Roma and Egyptian Communities: Towards Inclusion

Representatives of Roma and Egyptian communities described persistent, compounding exclusion — from being able to access quality education and healthcare, oppotunities in the formal labour market, and challenges with documentation and digital systems that are a precondition for almost every area of life. . They noted that EU accession, while bringing opportunities, also carries potential risks for their communities if the processes do not explicitly address structural discrimination and exclusion.

The representatives called for the UN to more robustly advocate for systemic policy change: legal recognition of community needs, anti-discrimination enforcement, and disaggregated data systems that make their situation visible in national statistics. They asked the UN in Albania to use its convening power to support Roma communities to hold government accountable for commitments that have been made but not met in practice— and to ensure that the new Cooperation Framework includes explicit, measurable targets promoting non-discrimination and inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities.

“Measures exist on paper, but services are not effectively reaching Roma and Egyptian people. We expect the UN to advocate so national strategies translate into real change at the community level.” — Roma/Egyptian community representative.

Persons with Disabilities: From Awareness to Access in all Parts of Life

Disability rights organizations had a consistent message: Albania has made progress on disability awareness but is lagging in the area of access. Participants appreciated the UN’s advocacy and awareness campaigns whilst requesting that the UN engage more in  areas relevant to the enforcement of existing rights — in education, employment, public infrastructure, and digital services. A whole of government and whole of society approach was emphasized as central to the empowerment and dignity of persons with disability, moving from dependence to independence. 

They noted that EU accession standards on accessibility and non-discrimination offer a powerful lever for change and asked the UN in Albania to explicitly link disability rights programming to EU chapter requirements. They also called for the UN programmes to ensure that persons with disabilities are included in design and monitoring phases.

Women's Organizations: Gender Equality is a Structural Issue

Women's organizations emphasized that Albania has made progress in the area of women’s representation in political and leadership positions, but that discrimination and inequality are evident throughout society. Participants emphasized that gender inequality in Albania cannot be addressed through standalone projects given the structural nature of the inequality and discrimination across the economy, the labour market, the legal system, and the family. They called on the UN to treat gender equality as a cross-cutting imperative across all three pillars of the new Cooperation Framework. They asked the UN to ensure that gender-disaggregated data is collected and used in all CF monitoring processes.

Strengthening local service delivery, disaggregated data, investment in the care economy and education quality were also identified as priorities. Participants emphasized the importance of UN support on combatting hate speech and disinformation towards women and girls, especially in the online sphere. They asked for the UN to be vocal in advocacy and communications, and continue providing high quality analysis and support in the areas of gender responsive budgeting, human rights, women, peace and security and CSW.

“We need stronger national and local mechanisms to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, ensuring that rural and marginalized women are not left behind.” — Women’s groups consultation participant

The Media: Information Integrity and Professional Standards

Media representatives called on the UN in Albania to support media capacity-development not only in technical skills, but in the legal, financial, and ethical dimensions of independent journalism.

They also noted that media should be considered as a fundamental stakeholder in advancing human rights, accountability, and sustainable development. Discussions highlighted concerns about limited visibility of media freedom in the framework, the need for stronger responses to misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, and the importance of gender-sensitive reporting. Participants called for structured engagement with journalist associations, expanded partnerships with journalism faculties, and innovative approaches to strengthen media literacy and professional standards. Participants urged the UN to help build support for media as an active force for democratic governance and accountability within the new Cooperation Framework. 

“Media development and media freedom must be more visible in the Cooperation Framework, not just treated as a cross-cutting issue.” — Media consultation participant

The Private Sector: A Partner in Transformation, Not Just a Beneficiary

Private sector representatives brought a pragmatic and forward-looking perspective. They called for practical, hands-on support in navigating EU accession requirements and adapting to Single Market rules — emphasizing the importance of concrete technical assistance for businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises, that must comply with new regulatory standards in areas such as product safety, environmental requirements, and digital services.

Participants emphasized that the green economy transition represents both a risk and an opportunity for Albanian businesses and called on the UN in Albania to support a just transition that does not leave smaller enterprises behind. They also called for stronger public-private dialogue mechanisms, noting that business voices are often absent from the policy processes that most directly affect them.

The private sector's message was clear: they want to be partners in Albania's transformation.

“Businesses are willing to act on social issues but often lack awareness and know-how. We need UN support to build awareness and share scalable practices.” — Representative from the hospitality sector

Economic Insight and Analytics: Strengthening the Framework’s Evidence Base

On 4 February 2026, the UN in Albania hosted a consultation with the Economist Network — a group of 15 economists and analysts from the development partners and International Financial Institutions co-convened by the UN and World Bank. The discussion focused on the macroeconomic dimensions of Albania's development trajectory and the analytical underpinnings of the new Cooperation Framework.

Participants emphasized the importance of grounding the CF's three pillars in rigorous economic evidence, particularly on labour market dynamics, fiscal sustainability, and the differential opportunities, challenges and effects of EU accession reforms for the population, especially those at risk of being left behind. Participants emphasized the importance of stronger linkages between the UN's programming and national statistical systems. They also flagged risks of fragmentation and/or duplication, calling for stronger coordination. 

Government Counterparts: Ownership and Alignment

On 12 February 2026, together with Director General of SASPAC, the UN in Albania convened a consultation with central and local government representatives, members of Parliament, and national human rights institutions — with over 90 representatives, the session reflected the breadth of the engagement, partnership and ownership of the new Cooperation Framework.

Government counterparts reaffirmed their commitment to the three-priority structure, whilst providing more detail on specific areas where UN support would be required, particularly in the area of supporting government with expertise and capacity for EU accession processes and implementation of reforms, especially at municipality level and with a Leave No One Behind  perspective. 

The representatives advised that they appreciated having the Cooperation Framework as the main document guiding UN support for Albania’s national development priorities, including EU accession reforms and SDG acceleration. They stressed the need for the UN team to prioritize, remain realistic given the changing landscape and align the country’s institutional capacities and reform goals. 

The government counterparts noted that the coming period will involve complex reforms in various areas, including governance, rule of law, economic transformation, human capital, demographics, and environmental sustainability. It will be important to ensure inclusivity. In this context, the UN was recognized for its comparative advantage as a policy partner and source of expertise. 

“As Albania advances on its EU accession path, our cooperation with the United Nations must evolve to support complex, interlinked reforms — from governance and human capital to green growth. Strategic focus and measurable results are essential for turning policies into real improvements in people’s lives" - says SASPAC Director General Eridana Çano.

Diplomatic Corps and Development Partners: Coordination and Ambition

In a session co-chaired by the Director General of SASPAC and UN, the diplomatic corps and development partners were convened for a consultation that was both a strategic alignment dialogue and a listening session.

Participants affirmed their support for a streamlined three-priority structure of the new Cooperation Framework. The EU Ambassador set the tone with a message that resonated throughout the room: whilst membership is central to the EU accession process, the ultimate goal is transformation. Here is where the complementarity between the EU reforms and SDGs can be most mutually beneficial for the country and population. Partners called on the UN to be a catalyst for the transformation: to not duplicate what the EU or other partners do, but rather fill the gaps, build capacities, provide expertise and convene dialogues that other actors cannot. The important expertise, capacities and work that the UN undertakes in the area of data, policy, financing and capacity development where emphasized as strengths.

“Coherence between the Cooperation Framework and Albania’s EU accession process is essential. Our shared goal is not EU membership alone — it is the transformation that brings stronger institutions, inclusive development, and lasting opportunities for all citizens.” - EU Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato
 

Partners emphasized the UN’s unique role in working with the institutions and population to anchor Albania’s national priorities in the SDGs, with a view to ensuring no one is left behind. The UN Resident Coordinator reiterated this shared sense of direction and collective purpose.

Three Priorities, Shaped by Data, Analysis and People

The year-long process of evaluation, analysis, and consultation generated a clear convergence of support for the three strategic pillars of the 2027–2031 Albania and United Nations Cooperation Framework. The priorities reflect the intersection of Albania's most pressing development needs, the country’s clear national priority for EU membership, and the areas where the UN can add the greatest value in terms of accelerating the SDGs in partnership with the country and its people.

1. Inclusive Human Capital Development

Albania's human capital is the country’s greatest asset, but also greatest vulnerability. Persistent gaps in education quality, healthcare access, and social protection leave too many people — particularly women, youth, Roma and Egyptian communities, and persons with disabilities — unable to fully participate in economic and social life. Demographic trends with one of Europe’s most rapidly ageing populations and large numbers of out migration, are key risk factors for the viability of the social systems and economic prosperity. The UN is uniquely placed to add significant value in this area focusing on building the human foundations of a prosperous, inclusive Albania. For example, reforming learning systems to deliver 21st century skills; strengthening social protection floors; and ensuring that EU accession raises living standards for everyone, not just those already well-positioned to benefit.

2. Sustainable Economic Transformation & Inclusive Green Growth

Albania's natural assets — its landscapes, its coastline, its biodiversity — are an invaluable development opportunity but also a responsibility, including to future generations. Under this pillar the UN team in Albania will support transition to a green economy: one that can meet EU environmental standards, attract sustainable investment, and generate quality jobs in sectors aligned with the future. Key focus areas are to address climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, and the sustainable management of natural resources — areas where Albania faces growing pressure and where the UN has deep expertise.

3. Governance, Justice & Human Rights

Albania continues to strengthen governance grounded in fairness, accountability, and respect for human rights. People increasingly expect institutions that deliver justice impartially, act with integrity, and respond openly to their needs. This pillar builds on that momentum by supporting independent justice systems, transparent and accountable public administration, and the effective protection of fundamental rights. These efforts also align with Albania’s journey toward EU accession, reinforcing reforms that enhance institutional trust, democratic governance, and the relationship between the state and its citizens. By promoting civic space, supporting free and responsible media, and encouraging inclusive participation in public life, this pillar helps ensure that governance remains responsive, inclusive, and firmly rooted in the everyday experiences and aspirations of people across the country.

Financing the Future: The Albania SDG Acceleration Fund and Beyond

A central element of the 2027–2031 Cooperation Framework's architecture is the Albania SDG Acceleration Fund — a country level pooled funding mechanism that enables the UN system to programme jointly, leverage government co-financing, and attract additional resources from partners.

The Albania SDG Acceleration Fund is an operational expression of the UN's commitment to joint programming. Together with the government, the UN team has identified three flagships that are aligned to and will underpin/act as catalysts for the three pillars of the Cooperation Framework. Albania’s co-financing will be a strong signal of national ownership and accountability, as well as the transition of the country and the UN system. The Fund's governance structure ensures that resources are allocated transparently, against clear results, and with regular independent review.

All focus groups raised funding, partnerships and financing as decisive factors. The Albania SDG Acceleration Fund emerged as a central tool for funding enhanced collective action, along with global UN pooled funds such as the UN Joint SDG Fund, government co-financing, and EU reform-linked financing models.

The Albanian government's commitment to co-funding the flagship initiatives is significant as it represents an important shift in Albania’s upward development progress: with the UN moving from a donor relationship, to the UN as a strategic partner with shared priorities and achievements.

A Framework That Belongs to the People Who Shaped It

United Nations Resident Coordinator Ingrid Macdonald: "The consultations for the new Cooperation Framework in Albania connect us directly with the partners and people that we will be working alongside in the years ahead. By shaping this framework together, the United Nations Country Team, in close partnership with the Government of Albania, is laying the foundation for more coherent, impactful action—advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that development progress is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable”.

What Comes Next

By the final consultation, the strength of the Albania–UN Cooperation Framework lay in how it was shaped — through an open, inclusive, and participatory process that fostered genuine ownership and put people at its heart.

In every discussion, with every recommendation, and every voice — from youth to civil society, from minority communities to business leaders, from government institutions to development partners — they have all helped shape the vision and priorities of the UN team over the next five years. The Framework’s priorities have been built collectively through dialogue, evidence, and shared responsibility.

This inclusive design process has strengthened the quality of the Framework whilst also helping the UN team enhance partnerships and build trust which will be critical for the coming five years. The process has created a foundation of legitimacy and joint ownership that will guide implementation in the years ahead.

In the months ahead, the UN and the Government of Albania will finalize the text of the 2027–2031 Cooperation Framework and it will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval before being formally signed in the summer of 2026 — marking a new chapter in the already strong partnership between the United Nations and Albania.