United Nations supports Albania in strengthening capacities to increase financing for Sustainable Development Goals

A team of five UN agencies led by UNDP are working closely with the Albanian government, legislature and other key stakeholders to strengthen country’s national and local level capacities to strengthen financing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 1.1 million USD, Joint SDG Fund intervention “Strategic Policy Options for SDG Financing” focuses on identifying fiscal space and the introduction of innovative solutions for financing SDGs.

Opening the Steering Committee meeting, the UN’s Resident Coordinator in Albania, Ms. Fiona McCluney noted  this  intervention is timely and much needed: “The pandemic exposed to all of us the fragility of our health and social protection systems, making SDGs more relevant than ever ” she said.

Speaking about the key benefits of the intervention, McCluney highlighted the role that it plays in supporting Albania’s strategic objectives, “the Strategic Policy Options for SDG Financing” can unlock the necessary financing – not only for the achievement of SDGs, but also to support and accelerate the EU integration agenda” – she added.

Implementation of the activities is expected to provide sound and feasible solutions for more effective investments in SDGs and, in turn, produce large scale results that reach the most vulnerable parts of Albanian society, especially children and women living in the poorest locations. Such change is delivered through gathering solid evidence on the costs to the country of not investing in the SDGs, through collection of data and analysis of fiscal space. As well as establishing, tools for financing policies and measuring impact, and strengthening capacities of those institutions charged with financing the SDG’s and, supporting a national dialogue on SDG financing in Albania.

For the Minister of Finance and Economy, H.E. Ms. Anila Denaj, the project’s strong impact is to accelerate investment oriented by SDGs, in line with the reforms undertaken in the recent years by the Albanian Government. She expressed the engagement of the Government in ensuring an improved environment and understanding among all stakeholders to better prioritize the financing for SDGs in the era of COVID and beyond.

The strategic intervention is implemented jointly by UNDP, UNICEF, ILO in close collaboration with UNFPA and UN WOMEN. The agencies will work with the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Parliament of Albania and other key institutions. It is funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund with global contributions from Denmark, European Union, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.