Outcome 1—Governance and Rule of Law
Governance and Rule of Law
Our overall work on the Governance and Rule of Law Learn translates to specific action to meet SDG targets on the areas of human rights, anti-corruption, local governance, gender-responsive budgeting, migration and asylum and more. Get all the information in the sections below:
Human Rights
During implementation of the PoCSD, the UN agencies made progress in ensuring the government’s ability to (i) monitor progress on implementation of recommendations from international human rights conventions, treaties and regular national reports, (ii) improve evidence for actions taken in line with observations and recommendations and establish tracking mechanisms, and (iii) generate stronger political engagement by Parliament and human rights institutions to strengthen public accountability mechanisms and increase outreach to vulnerable people. By the end of 2021, the Law on Aliens was adopted, the Instruction establishing a statelessness determination procedure drafted, and the Census 2022 questionnaires include a focus on statelessness persons and those at the risk of statelessness. Government had bolstered the Women, Peace and Security Agenda through preparation of the second National Action Plan to implement Resolution 1325. The National Action Plan for Children 2021–2026 was finalised and approved. Improvements in the child focused statistics availability are marked with the Visualisation Platform (dashboard) with 58 child-specific Statistics and INSTAT publication on Children, Adolescents and Youth-Focused Well-being Indicators 2016–2019. The new ‘Friends of Children’ group was reconstituted in November, to mark the International Day of Children. Efforts to combat statelessness resulted in the opening of 181 new court and administrative cases of children affected by statelessness and whose access to core services and rights had been jeopardised because of the pandemic, and the addressing of 24 cases of children and their caregivers repatriated from war-affected zones, requiring longer-term settlement of their legal status in the country and necessary paperwork allowing them to fully enjoy Albanian citizenship.
Stronger collaboration between the People’s Advocate (PA) and the CPD safeguarded an adequate policy and legal framework implementation and the upholding of human rights standards to address social exclusion and discrimination and ensure equal and fair access to social assistance benefits and protection for families in need and women and men with special status. The PA finalised the legislative processes leading to the adoption of the minimum subsistence as a legal instrument, where social protection for the groups in need in Albania is built upon and guaranteed. To safeguard protection and human rights of the refugees and migrants arriving in Albania as part of mixed movements, the PA monitored the pre-screening exercise, conducted profiling interviews with new arrivals and identified persons with specific needs. The PA received a multi-fold increase in the number of complaints submitted directly from children (from 15 in 2020 to 102 in 2021).
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.5, 16.2, 16.3, 16.6, 16.9, 16.10, 16.b, 17.18
Stronger collaboration between the People’s Advocate (PA) and the CPD safeguarded an adequate policy and legal framework implementation and the upholding of human rights standards to address social exclusion and discrimination and ensure equal and fair access to social assistance benefits and protection for families in need and women and men with special status. The PA finalised the legislative processes leading to the adoption of the minimum subsistence as a legal instrument, where social protection for the groups in need in Albania is built upon and guaranteed. To safeguard protection and human rights of the refugees and migrants arriving in Albania as part of mixed movements, the PA monitored the pre-screening exercise, conducted profiling interviews with new arrivals and identified persons with specific needs. The PA received a multi-fold increase in the number of complaints submitted directly from children (from 15 in 2020 to 102 in 2021).
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.5, 16.2, 16.3, 16.6, 16.9, 16.10, 16.b, 17.18
Anti-Corruption and Rule of Law
The national public administration has a greater capacity to improve access to information, address corruption and organised crime, and engage CSOs and media in efforts to strengthen monitoring of reform efforts. In Preventing and Combating Violent Extremism, implementation of the National Strategy advanced for providing assistance to citizens returned from conflict zones for their long-term repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration into community life. In a participatory approach through all the institutions involved, re-integration support was provided to five families in one municipality in Albania. On 1 August 2021, Albania repatriated 19 people from the Al-Hol camp in Syria, fourteen of whom were children and five, women. In addition, CCCVE is establishing a filing case management system for the registration and follow-up of all the individual reintegration plans, for their resocialisation into the community (in schools, etc.), and which are being prepared by several reintegration ad hoc multidisciplinary groups in a whole-society and inter-institutional approach.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 3.5, 3.7, 8.7, 16.3, 16.4, 16.6, 16.9, 16.10, 16.a, 16.b
A comprehensive review was undertaken on the strategic and regulatory framework for citizen-centric public service delivery in Albania, and recommendations were identified on areas to address. In addition, a snapshot assessment was conducted of the state of public service standards in Albania involving 119 public agencies. The nationwide expansion of customer care standards advanced and by the end of 2021 had benefitted 368,000 inhabitants in the thirteen municipalities where such joint centres are functioning. Meanwhile, an integrated citizen service centre for larger municipalities was inaugurated by ADISA in Kamza, bringing the number of such centres to ten.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 3.5, 3.7, 8.7, 16.3, 16.4, 16.6, 16.9, 16.10, 16.a, 16.b
A comprehensive review was undertaken on the strategic and regulatory framework for citizen-centric public service delivery in Albania, and recommendations were identified on areas to address. In addition, a snapshot assessment was conducted of the state of public service standards in Albania involving 119 public agencies. The nationwide expansion of customer care standards advanced and by the end of 2021 had benefitted 368,000 inhabitants in the thirteen municipalities where such joint centres are functioning. Meanwhile, an integrated citizen service centre for larger municipalities was inaugurated by ADISA in Kamza, bringing the number of such centres to ten.
Local Governance
Governance and public service delivery improved at the central level. By the end of 2021, 23 ADISA CSCs and LGU colocations were established for customer-care service delivery, 61 LGUs are operating OSSs for service delivery, have a physical archiving system and increased capacities, legal knowledge and skills on physical archiving, have web pages meeting transparency legal requirements, and publish council decisions online, while twelve municipalities have an integrity plan in place.
The Youth Voice platform was established in 16 municipalities, and the Youth Voice Media Platform in ten municipalities. Media reporting on SRH and youth improved in 2021, doubling the number of published articles compared with the same period last year (from 60 to 126). Youth education and SRH are budgeted for in 16 municipalities. Meanwhile, the JoTabu portal, apps and the Facebook page had a total reach of 300,000 people.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 3.7, 16.3, 16.5, 16.6, 16.7, 16.10
The Youth Voice platform was established in 16 municipalities, and the Youth Voice Media Platform in ten municipalities. Media reporting on SRH and youth improved in 2021, doubling the number of published articles compared with the same period last year (from 60 to 126). Youth education and SRH are budgeted for in 16 municipalities. Meanwhile, the JoTabu portal, apps and the Facebook page had a total reach of 300,000 people.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 3.7, 16.3, 16.5, 16.6, 16.7, 16.10
Access to Justice
Implementation of the new juvenile criminal code and the national Free Legal Aid (FLA) legislation framework advanced to adequately respond to the needs of the most vulnerable groups. Aiming at reducing the number of children in detention (pre- and post-trial) and improve their access to justice, the Ministry of Justice developed a communication plan to accompany the National Justice for Children Strategy, government established a Centre for Juvenile Criminality Prevention and its website, seven police departments’ interview units were fully furnished and equipped in a child-friendly way, safeguarding children’s right to justice be less traumatic, the Magistrates’ School produced six teaching mock court videos with elements of judicial determination of the best interest of the child, which became part of the online learning platform for magistrates, an online Integrated Data System on Criminal Justice for Children is now in place, along with a user’s manual enabling the police to record 247 cases by December 2021, and INSTAT finalised the mapping of Albania’s legislation against the International Classification of Crime Statistics (ICCS) and prepared a plan towards its adoption and adaptation for administrative data. By the end of 2021, the rate of children in detention had decreased substantially, to fourteen percent from 33.3 percent in 2016.
By end-2021, ten FLA centres were operational and functioning at the District Court level to ensure equitable and unhindered access to justice for the most vulnerable persons. A total of 2,242 vulnerable individuals, of whom 1,138 were women, received primary and secondary FLA services in these judiciary regions in an undisruptive, inclusive and equal manner considering also the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Judges were capacitated in the use of International Labour Standards as a valuable labour law source and as a guide to interpret labour law, strengthen court decisions and settle labour disputes.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.8, 5.a, 16.2, 16.3
By end-2021, ten FLA centres were operational and functioning at the District Court level to ensure equitable and unhindered access to justice for the most vulnerable persons. A total of 2,242 vulnerable individuals, of whom 1,138 were women, received primary and secondary FLA services in these judiciary regions in an undisruptive, inclusive and equal manner considering also the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Judges were capacitated in the use of International Labour Standards as a valuable labour law source and as a guide to interpret labour law, strengthen court decisions and settle labour disputes.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.8, 5.a, 16.2, 16.3
Mainstreaming Gender and Gender-Responsive Budgeting
Significant achievements were noted by the end of 2021 in an increased uptake of Gender-Based Budgeting in the public financial management system in the country. Government recognises gender equality as one of the principles of its planning and budgeting process and over the years there has been in an increase of budget allocations for GE results. GRB elements constitute nine percent (approximately USD 490 million) of the total planned annual budget in 2021, compared to just one percent in 2015. For the 2022–2024 Medium-Term Budget Program (MTBP) 45 budgetary programmes (60.8% of the total) are engendered. For the first time, gender expenditures can be tracked, and the impact measured due to the improved and engendered Albanian Finance Management Information System (AFMIS). With data from AFMIS, the First Gender Expenditure Monitoring Report 2021 was issued. Twenty government draft laws, policies, strategies and plans have been engendered and 27 fiscal laws, by-laws and policies reflect compliance with GRB. A total of 54 municipalities (20 in 2021 alone) have strengthened capacities to apply GRB within local budgets with a focus on gender mainstreaming in policies and related budgets associated with municipal services. The 2022 budget is open and transparent to citizens and oversight mechanisms due to the Gender-Sensitive Citizen's Budget being published by MoFE for the first time. Oversight bodies are more proactive in demanding accountability of public institutions for budget allocations and application of GRB. Ten economy journalists are now more knowledgeable on how to report on GE financing due to receiving the first-of-its kind training from UN Women in GRB and its importance for reporting.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.1, 5.4, 5.c, 17.18
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.1, 5.4, 5.c, 17.18
Migration and Asylum
Systemic changes at the policy level were enabled through, to name a few, the development of the National Strategy on Migration 2019–2022 and Action Plan and three SOPs for case management of different categories of migrants and refugees within the management of mixed movements, updating and costing of the Contingency Plan for Massive Influx of Migrants and Asylum Seekers to Albania, drafting of a technical legal analysis around the regulatory framework on Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC), provision of recommendations to government on what needs to change, revision of the case management SOP for UASC, adoption of the Law on Aliens and on Asylum and several by-laws for their implementation. A coordination and monitoring mechanism was operationalised for the Strategy and Action Plan. The NSM mid-term review indicated that out of 127 measures contained in the Action Plan (2019–2022), 40 were implemented, 25 were not implemented within the time foreseen and 55 measures are ongoing.
A DCM to allow for the issuance of ID cards for refugees, with the overall aim of facilitating greater access to public services, was finalized at the end of 2021. UNHCR and IOM successfully advocated for the inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the national vaccination programme, with a positive governmental response. The UN Migration Network was established in April 2021, co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and IOM and with the membership of UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, FAO, ILO, UN Women and WHO, aiming to contribute to leveraging the Global Compact on Migration implementation for achievement of the SDGs. MoI also updated and costed the Contingency Plan for Massive Influx of Migrants and Asylum Seekers to Albania approved by the Council of Ministers by the end of 2021.
Systemic changes to institutional capacities were enabled by improvement of the infrastructure and capacities for registration and temporary accommodation of irregular migrants. Conditions for children, women and girls in a vulnerable situation improved at the Temporary Reception Facilities in Gjirokaster, Kapshtica and Korce. Humanitarian assistance was provided to new arrivals, including provision of food for 15,931 persons, non-food items for 1,782 persons and information leaflets for 16,079 persons. Support was provided to 286 migrant women and girls to access counselling sessions, 91 women and girls to access medical services, and 383 women and girls to separate interviews with police officers in the presence of a woman translator. Some 199 UASC received child-friendly assessments in 2021, seven of whom have been supported with emergency sheltering, basic services and psycho-social support. Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) counselling was provided to 2,924 irregular migrants, including one Nigerian and one Algerian in 2021.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.2, 8.7, 10.7, 10.b, 16.2, 16.3, 17.16, 17.18
A DCM to allow for the issuance of ID cards for refugees, with the overall aim of facilitating greater access to public services, was finalized at the end of 2021. UNHCR and IOM successfully advocated for the inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the national vaccination programme, with a positive governmental response. The UN Migration Network was established in April 2021, co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator and IOM and with the membership of UNICEF, UNDP, UNHCR, FAO, ILO, UN Women and WHO, aiming to contribute to leveraging the Global Compact on Migration implementation for achievement of the SDGs. MoI also updated and costed the Contingency Plan for Massive Influx of Migrants and Asylum Seekers to Albania approved by the Council of Ministers by the end of 2021.
Systemic changes to institutional capacities were enabled by improvement of the infrastructure and capacities for registration and temporary accommodation of irregular migrants. Conditions for children, women and girls in a vulnerable situation improved at the Temporary Reception Facilities in Gjirokaster, Kapshtica and Korce. Humanitarian assistance was provided to new arrivals, including provision of food for 15,931 persons, non-food items for 1,782 persons and information leaflets for 16,079 persons. Support was provided to 286 migrant women and girls to access counselling sessions, 91 women and girls to access medical services, and 383 women and girls to separate interviews with police officers in the presence of a woman translator. Some 199 UASC received child-friendly assessments in 2021, seven of whom have been supported with emergency sheltering, basic services and psycho-social support. Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) counselling was provided to 2,924 irregular migrants, including one Nigerian and one Algerian in 2021.
The joint UN – Government of Albania efforts in 2021 contributed to progress in achieving SDG targets: 5.2, 8.7, 10.7, 10.b, 16.2, 16.3, 17.16, 17.18
