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Albania
Voluntary National Review 2018

Main Messages

SDG era in Albania started based on a long and successful experience of eradicating extreme poverty and reducing the risk of social exclusion, ensuring high quality basic universal education and promoting gender equality and empowerment of women. Albania has embraced the Global Partnership, designed to make a strong contribution to the attainment of Agenda 2030 and is fully committed to implement the Agenda 2030 in the context of the National Strategy for Development and Integration and the European Integration process.
The accession to European Union is the overarching priority and the most important strategic ambition of the country as the as the EU Integration process has full political consensus and nation-wide support as a solid way in achieving a sustainable future for the people of Albania. The success of the European Integration process, culminating with the European Commission's unconditional recommendation in April 2018 to open accession talks with Albania, has been guided by the progress and completion of many complex and inter-related reforms, among which five areas are identified as priorities in this process:

  • public administration reform, stable institutions and a modern, professional and depoliticized civil service;
  • strengthening the independence, efficiency and accountability of judicial institutions;
  • increasing the fight against corruption;
  • increasing the fight against organized crime;
  • ensuring the protection of human rights, including property rights.

The Albanian Government has affirmed full commitment to the Agenda 2030. The coordination and the leadership of the process is provided by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the SDGs, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of Albania and comprising key government institutions as well as other stakeholders from the business community, civil society, academia and international organizations, including the technical support provided by the Department of Development and Good Governance in the Prime Minister’s Office and the contribution of the United Nations agencies in Albania. The Albanian Parliament has unanimously approved a resolution confirming Albania’s commitment to Agenda 2030 as it plays an important role in monitoring the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The scope of the Voluntary National Review is to provide information on the process of implementing the SDGs in Albania and the results achieved. The focus of the report highlights the progress around the key government priorities, which include:

  • Innovative and citizen-centered public services;
  • Recovery and financial consolidation of the energy sector;
  • Fostering innovation and competitiveness, Foreign Direct Investments and domestic investments;
  • Integrated water management;
  • Integrated land management;
  • Financial structural reform.

The report integrates the progress achieved through two important transformational processes, the justice sector reform - designed to strengthen the judiciary system, and the urban renaissance program - aimed at transforming and promoting important features of Albania, with a great focus on upgrading the development centers across the country. The Voluntary National Review elaborates on Albania’s people centered efforts in leaving no one behind, by focusing on two important aspect of the theme, relevant to building resilient societies: women empowerment and social inclusion.
To support the implementation of the Agenda 2030, Albania has prepared an SDG baseline report which indicates that 140 SDG targets (83% of the SDG targets) are directly tied to specific components of the National Strategy for Development and Integration 2016 – 2020 pillars. The linkages between Albania’s policy goals and the SDG targets in the national strategies and policy documents, depict 134 SDG targets (79% of SDG targets), linked to the specific objectives of the national strategic policy framework. This framework is most harmonized with the SDG targets in Goal 3 “Good health and well-being”, Goal 7 “Affordable and Clean Energy”, Goal 8 “Good Jobs and Economic Growth” and Goal 9 “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure”, while the least harmonization is with Goal 14 “Life Below Water”.
The achievement of the SDGs in Albania would require further and substantial commitment and cooperation of all the relevant stakeholders in the country. Key challenges in this process include the efforts of establishing the national vision for the year 2030, particularly in the most relevant policy areas for Albania, the identification of policy gaps and acceleration of action in priority areas, the prioritization the SDGs in the local context and the strengthening of the institutional capacities of all the key stakeholders engaged in the process, including the monitoring and reporting institutions.

Focal point
Edmond Leka
Director of DEDAC
Department for Economic Development and Foreign Aid Co-ordination
Ministry of Finance
Tirana
Documents & Reports

National Reports
Report Topics covered Process
National report - Albania Rio+20;

Partnerships & Commitments
The below is a listing of all partnership initiatives and voluntary commitments where Albania is listed as a partner or lead entity in the Partnerships for SDGs online platform
By 2020 establish a conservation target of 5 % of marine & coastal areas.

Although few, Marine protected areas and the protection of marine environments is defined as an important priority for the future. Analyses of marine areas have included assessment of biodiversity and natural values in general, and assessment of historical, cultural, social and economic values, aimed at identifying marine area for protection status. This analysis creates the opportunity for the establishment of a network of marine areas and its inclusion in the representative network of protected areas of the country. The legislation on nature protection, horizontal environmental legislation, ...[more]

Partners
Government and non-government partners
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Protect the network of marine and coastal protected areas in Vlora region

The objective of the Regional Agency of Protected Areas is conservation of nature and biodiversity, promoting tourism values /recreational, cultural, gastronomic, esthetic, health, spiritual, with positive impact in local livelihoods. Under Vlora Regional Administration of Protected Areas (RAPA) is situated the first Marine Park in Albania and the work is focused on strengthening and increasing monitoring and law enforcement capacities of the administration and local actors. In line with Oceans Conference and SDG 14 RAPA Vlora will prepare implementation action plans for habitats and spec...[more]

Partners
National Agency for Protected Areas, United Nations Development Programme
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE)

Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) is a multi-stakeholder coalition among public sector, private sector, and civil society actors that aims to provide leadership and resources for catalytic action to increase the number of young people engaged in productive work. The S4YE coalition was founded, in partnership, by Accenture, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Youth Foundation (IYF), Plan International, RAND Corporation, the World Bank, and Youth Business International (YBI). The mission of S4YE is to provide leadership and catalytic action and mobilize efforts to signific...[more]

Partners
* Accenture * Microsoft * Government of Germany * Government of Norway * Government of Albania * Plan International * Youth Business International (YBI) * International Youth Foundation (IYF) * RAND Corporation * International Labour Organization (ILO) * Hilton * Rockefeller Foundation * MasterCard Foundation * Mozilla Foundation * Envoy for Youth, United Nations * World Bank * E...[more]
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
United Nations