The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been present in Albania assisting this Balkan country in different fields since 1991 a balance sheet of which has been unveiled by its Country Director Limya Eltayeb in an exclusive interview with Albanian Daily News.

“Everything UNDP does in Albania is to ensure we “leave no one behind” - which means to ensure we reach the most vulnerable and include them in development and make them our priority. That is also my personal priority and motto in life so I try to reinforce it wherever I am working, including in Albania,” Ms. Eltayeb said, giving details of the Country Programme (2017-2021), its achievements and targets in the interview which follows:

- UNDP is one of the main United Nations agencies operating in Albania. Can you please tell us something more how are you helping this Balkan country advance its development agenda?

-The UNDP has been present in Albania since 1991, supporting Albania’s social and economic development - working with the central and local Government, civil society, academia, private sector, international community and other partners to fight poverty and inequalities, strengthen the rule of law, promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, protect the environment and support economic and social reforms. Our Country Programme (2017-2021) focuses on: Democratic Governance, Local governance and Rule of Law; Social Inclusion and Human Rights; Youth Employment and Skills; and Climate Change and Environment. Our Programme is consistent with Albania’s national vision, NSDI, the country’s ambitious reform effort, and with Albania’s EU accession agenda and the SDGs.

Everything UNDP does in Albania is to ensure we “leave no one behind” - which means to ensure we reach the most vulnerable and include them in development and make them our priority. That is also my personal priority and motto in life so I try to reinforce it wherever I am working, including in Albania.

-Unemployment is a big problem for economy of any country, especially when it affects youth. In Albania youth unemployment stands at 27.8 %. Due to lack of experience, young people find obstacles to enter labor market compared to other group-ages. Unfortunately, a lot of young people want to migrate to other countries for a better life. How is UNDP tackling this?

- UNDP has been supporting youth employment through several interventions with support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Our Skills Development for Employment Programme aims to ensure that more young Albanian men and women in urban and rural areas are employed, self-employed or increase their employability. It addresses policies that strengthen employment policies and measures, and vocational education and training. In particular, we are working to address the skills mismatch; unequal access to employment and training services, especially for vulnerable people, and increasing the quality and relevance of VET programmes. Some of our work happens at the policy level in support of the Finance Ministry, National Employment Service, and others.

However, of particular interest to the public would be our Self-employment Programme. This scheme assists young entrepreneurs to develop their business idea with training, business support, and start-up financing. In its two rounds, in 2016 and 2017, we have received over 1000 applications in various economic sectors including tourism, technology and innovation, e-commerce. To date, 91 participants have received grants of up to 500,000 Lek. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the sustainability of the programme that aims to inspire young people follow their entrepreneurship spirit.

- I am well aware of the Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. How is UNDP helping Albania achieve them? Can you provide some tangible interventions you are undertaking, and how the SDG and EU integration agendas compliment each- other?

- The government of Albania signed up for the SDGs - Agenda 2030. We are happy to see the commitment of the government that is aligning its government priorities and strategic documents with the SDGs. Albania will be reporting this July to the High Level Political Forum in New York through a Voluntary National Report. UNDP is helping the government to conduct consultations with academia, civil society and local governments to report on the achievements and challenges that lay ahead. We will work with partners to ensure that the motto of SDGs “Leave no one behind” is fully reflected in policies, programmes and budgets.

- Let’s speak about environment a little bit. Climate Change is the big issue of our time and stands at the heart of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. Which are some of your interventions?

- UNDP supports mainstreaming climate change, environmental protection, energy efficiency and renewable energy. With support from UNDP, EU and GIZ, Albania submitted its Climate Action Plan, including its commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 11.5% by the year 2030 (Paris Agreement). This commitment needs interventions in energy efficiency and renewable energy. UNDP promotes renewable energy sources like solar water heating technology that meets 60% of warm water demands with up to 18% energy savings. UNDP supports removing legal and market barriers, training, and investments in 13 Municipalities. The solar water heaters penetration rate has increased three fold. These are saving to families and environment.

UNDP supports the governance mechanisms of protected areas, and the establishment of National Agency for Protected Areas in 2015. We also support the forging of partnerships with local authorities for a shared responsibility when it comes to nature. As a result of UNDP support, the first Marine Protected Area in Albania was proclaimed in 2017. Now we are working with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and relevant institutions in financing mechanisms for protected areas to ensure they are sustainable. Our support to Protected Areas is in partnership with the Government of Italy and GEF.

Also, UNDP contributes to sustainable development and preservation of Vlora bay by promotion of the recycling initiatives focusing on plastic, the major source of pollution for seas/oceans worldwide, and cooking oil. The initiatives build partnerships among municipality, businesses, and civil society. A rehabilitation center for sea turtles in Radhima, and National Geographic on community-driven research to catalogue Albania natural values brings volunteers and ordinary people closer to nature. A National Indicator reporting system is also being developed as a tool to enhance public access to data/information.

- UNDP is strong when it comes to empowering women and fighting domestic violence. What is being done to tackle domestic violence? Have you, for example, achieved gender equality in your organization? Do women hold management positions?

-Violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive and persistent forms of violence. It is not a new phenomenon in Albania - such violence is rooted deeply in the patriarchal traditions and customs. One in two women in Albania is victim of domestic violence. To respond to such a pandemic phenomenon, the Government, with the UNDP support and the Government of Sweden, has reached some positive results. Firstly, the harmonization of the national legislation with the international standards, improvement of the specific laws and policy framework, and secondly, investing in resources, law enforcement, relief and specialized services through local community coordination, capacity building, services and awareness raising.

The treatment of domestic violence cases is based on Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Mechanisms. To date, 37 CCR are established out of the 61 municipalities and UNDP supported two-thirds. The goal is to ensure the safest and most effective response to the immediate and multi-faceted needs of the victims/survivors. Specialized and emergency services to survivors are very much in need across Albania. UNDP and other UN agencies have supported Government efforts to increase representation of women in Parliament which is at 28.5%, while 50% of the Cabinet members are women and 35% women are represented in Municipal Councils. Local governance is democratic and effective to the extent that it promotes equality and social justice, especially for women and marginalised groups. In UNDP approximately 70% of employees are women, of whom 31 % are in management positions.

- One of the EU integration priorities is social inclusion of Roma and Egyptians and making sure that they benefit from development equally. UNDP has a long history of support to this community. After so many years, can you speak of some results? There is often criticism that given the funding provided, they should have been better off. What does exactly UNDP do in this area?

- Despite a number of successful reforms implemented, Roma and Egyptians continue to face barriers in accessing development gains, which stem from poverty and marginalisation, illiteracy or limited education, eligibility criterion of public services, lack of information procedures, as well as stigma and discrimination. Over the past four years UNDP, with the European Union, is supporting the integration of Roma and Egyptians in the municipalities of Tirana, Berat, Shkodra, Durres and earlier Korca (pilot projects).

The main directions of the intervention focus on: Firstly, a targeted employment approach is implemented in cooperation with the National Employment Services in Tirana, Durres, Shkodra and Berat. Five employment promotion measures and mediation services have been designed benefiting 361 individuals. Secondly, community members are mobilized and have become key partners in advancing the social inclusion agenda through the lenses of Community Led Local Development. Roma and Egyptian civil society organizations are supported through capacity building and grant schemes. Thirdly, two models for inclusive and desegregated education, respectively, a) Early part-time primary adult education, and literacy and continued education for adults; and b) Schools as community centres. They are mainstreamed into public education system improving education more than 2,300 R&E students. And lastly, some 786 individuals enjoy improved access to basic services, including civil registration, education, health and social care provided though a pilot model of integrated community based social services.

- UNDP has worked side by side with the Government to implement the administrative and territorial reform (STAR). Now you are working to consolidate the newly created 61 municipalities. Can you tell us more what are the next steps?

- STAR1 supported Government with the historic reform of Albania’s territorial administration, transforming 373 local government units into 61 Municipalities that now have more institutional basis to deliver services to citizens. Nevertheless, a successful decentralization requires a long-term commitment and support from both the Government and the development partners, as it entails a change process in the way national resources are planned, managed, budgeted and communicated with the public. STAR 2 Programme is accompanying the Government to further empower and consolidate the new Municipalities and deepen decentralizaiton. It is important to mention that the particularity of this UNDP assistance is that it represents a joint or pooled donor support approach to the decentralization, and it is jointly funded by the European Union, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, USAID, and UNDP, topped-up by a Government contribution. A complementary project on public sector reform is financed by the Governments of Italy and Austria.

The focus of the assistance is on improving the quality and channels of service provision, enhancing citizens’ access to services in an inclusive and equitable way, and ensuring that it is citizen-centric; strengthening the accountability and transparency of local administrations, local democracy and participative decision making; building local government capacities and enabling a favorable environment.

Initiatives include: mapping of citizen perceptions in 61 Municipalities; establishing one-stop-shops (in 51 Municipalities) for citizens to go to receive services in one place and reducing chasing several offices; redesigning the process of 60 services to make them more efficient and better serve citizen needs; developing and implementing local integrity plans; improving archiving systems; developing and training on improved tax collection and mid-term budget planning; etc.

- Recently you have launched a project on legal aid targeting mostly vulnerable groups. Your recent report has flagged a red light - vulnerable groups do not seem to benefit from it. Are there some follow up interventions from UNDP in this regard?

- In 2017, UNDP launched a series of initiatives on rule of law and human rights, including support for Free Legal Aid, Sigurimi (former communist security body) related cases, and local democracy (ReLOAD). According to a 2017 UNDP Albania Access to Justice Survey, almost half of the interviewed population has experienced legal problems in the last five years and nearly three quarters of Albanians believe the national justice system does not protect their rights adequately. The FLA scheme covers only a fraction of the needs of low-income and other disadvantaged groups. In addition, three key factors contribute to a fragile framework for access to justice, namely, low levels of legal literacy, dubious attitudes on what is just, and lack of trust in the justice system. UNDP piloted for the first time 4 free legal aid centers (in Tirana, Durres, Fier and Lezha) at district court premises in close partnership with CSOs (specialized), courts, and local partners aiming at an effective coordination among free legal aid service providers. The focus is on ensuring unhindered and equitable access to FLA service of the most vulnerable populations. Statistics from the FLA centers indicate that each centre has an average of 33 cases per month. Family law-related cases continue to dominate the dockets of the centers, especially divorce and child custody cases. Pension benefits cases are also on the rise. Protection orders and other issues related to women victims of violence are present at all centers and constitute an important part of their caseload.

- How much does UNDP deliver annually, and incidentally where do you get your funding from?

- UNDP delivers around USD 10 million annually as direct development assistance to the country. We are very grateful for our partnership with the people and government of Albania, and to our international development partners who work side by side with us to advance the development agenda of the country. Our donors are the European Union, Governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Austria, the United States, Turkey and GEF.