Albania
|
|
|
What are the Millennium Development Goals?
In September 2000, 147 Heads of State and Government and 191 nations adopted the Millennium Declaration, committing themselves to a series of targets, to be achieved by 2015. The declaration outlines peace, security and development concerns including environment, human rights and governance. By committing to the Declaration, world leaders agreed to a set of eight time bound and measurable Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Numerical targets have been set for each goal, to be achieved over a 25-year period between 1990 and 2015. Indicators have been selected to monitor progress on each of the targets.
Albania supports the Millennium Development Goals
In Albania, the MDGs provide a tool that enables national stakeholders to advocate for development and discuss priorities. Regional advocacy tours, a parliamentary MDG resolution, along with national MDG reports, parliamentary briefing sessions, concentrated media attention, and effective advocacy have inspired the country to localize the MDGs through regional development strategies.
A nationwide, consensus-building process led to joint preparation of the 2004 Albania MDG Progress Report, the 2005 MDG Report the 2005 National Human Development Report on Pro-Poor and Pro-Women Policies and Development in Albania and the 2008 Albania MDG Progress Report. In adapting the global goals to Albania, a ninth national MDG emerged: good governance.
Albania is on the right track toward meeting MDGs and that a number of targets set at the global and national levels are being met. Additionally, it becomes clear that some of the indicators (levels) will be reached before 2015, but others are considered too ambitious and unreachable for 2015. Given its level of social and economic development, Albania still needs to monitor the basic level of well-being as defined by the MDGs. Absolute poverty, though decreasing, still represents a challenge for the country. Also enrolment in basic education is far from being universal, child and maternal mortality still remains a concern, and access to safe drinking water is distant even by neighbouring country standards.
In 2009, Albania submitted its application to obtain the status of an EU candidate country and aspires to become an EU member in the coming years. In this respect, the country will aim to gradually introduce the EU social inclusion indicators. Based on this reasoning, revised systems and MDG target indicators reflect both Albania’s social and economic development level and it aspiration to be an EU Member. To view the current MDG targets and indicators, click here.
In addition to good governance, UNDP has a concentrated focus on poverty reduction, gender equality and environmental sustainability.
Reducing poverty
The number of people below the absolute poverty line fell from 25.4 percent of the population in 2002 to 18.5 percent in 2005, with the target of 13 percent by 2015. Approximately 3.5 percent of Albanians continue to live in extreme poverty (less than one dollar per day). Unemployment remains high, and measures confirm the trend of unequal distribution of poverty. Together with the Government, UNDP is concentrating its efforts on “pro-poor” growth – growth that reduces poverty as well as inequality.
At the central level, this includes support to the preparation of Albania’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (National Strategy for Development and Integration – NSDI); a medium-term budget programme; and ensuring adequate planning, monitoring and reporting systems.
With UNDP support, the Government has developed a National Strategy on Regional Development (December 2006 – March 2008) that establishes mechanisms of cooperation, coordination, accountability and efficiency between all levels of government in development planning and implementation. UNDP is also promoting the introduction and establishment of a DevInfo (Date) system as a tool for progress monitoring of regional development plans. Fier was the first region to complete this exercise in 2005 and Kukes and Vlora have followed in 2006 and 2007.
UNDP works with regional governments to address development challenges ensuring proper access to social services, such as the Kukes Regional Development Initiative (KRDI) (January 2005 - October 2007). KRDI provides vital infrastructure through a process led by community-based organizations and citizens of all communes and municipalities in the Kukes District, as well as the Districts of Has and Tropoje. Communities affected by landmines are given priority.
As of 2007, the Mine Action Programme (November 2005 - June 2007) has contributed to poverty reduction in the north through the clearance and release of more than 13 square kilometres of land to communities for agriculture, and other activities vital to livelihoods.
News articles related to poverty:
• TOP
Promoting gender equality
Gender inequality in terms of basic education, participation in politics, and employment in sectors other than agriculture still remain an issue in Albania. Following the 2005 parliamentary election, the number of seats held by women increased slightly. However, current progress is not likely to ensure that the 2015 target of 30 percent female Members of Parliament will be met. Only 7.1 percent of the Albanian Parliamentarians are women and currently there is only one woman Minister out of 14.
In its 2005-2009 programme, the Government is committed to ending violence against women and girls through policies, increasing access to the labour market for women and promoting policies in rural and remote areas of the country. Support is going to develop a National Strategy against domestic violence.
Awareness raising activities on the issue of domestic violence have been carried out in high schools in Kukes, and television spots are being aired throughout the country. The domestic violence project (October 2006 - September 2008), along with the EU Small Arms Control (June 2006– December 2007) project, is supporting the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) to develop a database on domestic violence in Albania.
UNDP, in cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), is supporting a new law on gender equality. Follow up support will go to a series of capacity building interventions to ensure smooth implementation of the new law.
UNDP also supports gender equality through its Gender Mainstreaming II (October 2006 – December 2007), building on past successes with the Gender Institute of the Faculty of Social Science to carry out a new Master’s programme in Gender and Development. Training on mainstreaming gender equality into policies and the correlation between gender policies and EU integration has already been given to 60 civil servants through the Training Institute for Public Administration (TIPA). Support has also gone to the Ministry of Education and Science, including revision of curricula and textbooks, and continued training for staff members –14,000 elementary teachers have received training on gender equality issues. Gender analyses for various sectors (education, labour, health) have been produced, as well as a Gender Mainstreaming guide and training manual.
News articles related to gender equality:
• TOP
Ensuring environmental sustainability
Although rich in biological diversity, Albania’s natural resources have been exploited. Illegal woodcutting, fishing and hunting, along with overgrazing and the occupation of forest and pasture land, are priority issues for Albania. Protected land has increased significantly in recent years – from 3.6 percent of the country’s surface area in 2002 to 8.3 percent in 2005. Nevertheless, the size of protected areas remains insufficient to ensure effective conservation of the country’s biological diversity.
Access to safe drinking water has improved. In 2005, 81.3 percent of the population had access to safe drinking water compared with 63.8 percent in 2002. The current trend suggests that Albania is on track to meet safe drinking water targets but the sector is suffering form the slow pace of reform. Air and water pollution remain an issue. Albania is interested to set ambitious targets for forested areas for many reasons, including the economic opportunity associated with carbon credit trading.
The Government of Albania and UNDP support the use of renewable energy sources, protect biodiversity protection, and streamlining of commitments to international environmental conventions - specifically those related to Biodiversity, Climate Change (March 2006 - March 2008) and Land Degradation (October 2005 - March 2007). A National Capacity Self Assessment (December 2004 - June 2007) helped to integrate global environmental concerns and commitments into national development planning and policy.
UNDP is also assisting Albania to implement the Stockholm Convention, taking measures to eliminate or reduce the release of persistent organic pollutants (January 2005 - April 2007) into the environment, and manage contaminated sites. UNDP Albania is also involved in supporting the environmental cleanup of hot spots (March 2007 - December 2009) ; Promoting Solar Water Heating in the marketplace (October 2005 - November 2007); Identifying and responding to environmental threats in the Drini-Mati River Deltas (March 2006 - December 2007); and integrating ecosystem management to protect globally significant biodiversity in the Prespa Lakes Basin (September 2006 - September 2011). UNDP is also supporting eco-tourism (April 2006 - April 2009) as a way to protect the environment and cultural assets while providing economic and job growth opportunities for primarily rural communities.
News articles related to the environment:
• TOP
Strengthening good governance
Achieving good governance remains a major challenge for Albania. Some Governance indicators for Albania according to the World Bank Institute fall still below the average of South Eastern Europe, or the average for countries with a similar income (rule of law, control of corruption, voice and accountability, political stability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality).
European and Euro-Atlantic integration, along with rapid and sustainable growth remain the overarching goals for Albania. Therefore, socio-economic development, strategic planning, sound public finance and external assistance management, anti-corruption, powered by an increased use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for development, continue to represent the major national priorities.
The Government remains committed to reform the public administration in order to provide improved services to citizens. Responding to these national priorities, UNDP has launched programmes contributing directly to democratic governance in the country.
Supporting the Integrated Planning System (IPS) was an initiative whereUNDP was engaged into build government capacities in programming, budgeting, and monitoring and evaluation processes.
UNDP has provided policy advice to the Government in the area of “extra-legalities” through the expertise of the world-renowned experts, the Institute of Liberty and Democracy, led by Hernando de Soto.
UNDP supports the government efforts to formulate and implement policies that address capacity gaps and sustainability in the public sector. The Brain Gain programme promotes policies and provides incentives to increase Albanian Diaspora involvement in the development of the country. Support has been given to more than 78 Albanian graduates from abroad in their employment in public administration and public and private universities. Reference to the brain gain programme was mentioned in the EC Progress Report on Albania 2008.The United Nations team and other development partners among the donor community in Albania have advised the Government to seriously address the issues of unequal regional progress, growing disparities, and other critical development issues. The National Strategy for Development and Integration 2007-2013, which is based on a number of sector and crosscutting strategies centers the main course of Albania with regard to the process of integration, the reforms for development and consolidation of the democratic state, and the government’s economic, fiscal and social policies. Support to the NSDI implementation and the monitoring of Paris Declaration represent an important contribution of UNDP in capacity development.
Development of ICT is an area where the government has focused a lot of attention. Our support towards the E-Schools has successfully assisted the government in equipping Albanian schools modern laboratories and access to internet. Support to the National Agency for Information Society through technical advice is being provided by a successful experience in the field of ICT that is Estonia.
Economic development and support to private sector are areas that UNDP is supporting private for many years. Increasing the investment opportunities in Albania and public private partnerships in the field of youth employment and promotion of Global Compact and Corporate Social Responsibility continue to be on our focus.
UNDP has got a critical involvement in statistics and the preparatory activities of the next Census in Albania. The results of the Leaving Standards and Measurement Survey 2009 have been launched. The data revealed that the poverty in Albania fell from 18.5 percent in 2005 to 12.4 in 2009. The LSMS findings and the new poverty map for Albania is being used to revise the new level of social assistance in the country.
News articles related to good governance:
|
«
Back
TOP
|
• 
