Albania

Partners and Actors

•  National Government Partners 

Ministry for Local Issues; Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism; Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Entrepreneurship; Regional Council of Shkodra; Municipality of Shkodra; Regional Council of Vlora; Regional Council of Kukes; Municipality of Vlra; Municipality of Saranda

• Bilateral Cooperation Partners

Italian Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Italy

• Subnational government partners

AULEDA -  The Local Economic Development Agency of Vlora; TEULEDA -  The Local Economic Development Agency of Shkodër

• Decentralize Cooperation Partners

Friuli Venezia Gulia region (Italy); Pas-de-Calais (France); Apulia region (Italy); Lecce province

• United Nations Partners

UNDP Albania; UNOPS

 

Background and Priorities

ART GOLD Albania 2 Programme, which started in 2010, operates in 2 regions (Vlora and Shkodra) and is striving to strengthen planning and coordination at the local level, promote innovations, best practice and knowledge sharing, and facilitating partnerships with decentralized cooperation actors and networks to the benefit of national/sub-national priorities. In doing so, the ART GOLD Albania 2 Programme provides support to Albania’s reform agenda for integration to the European Union harmonized with the pursuance of UN Millennium Development Goals for aid effectiveness.

UNDP ART GOLD in Albania also supports the Local Economic Development Agencies (AULEDA and TEULEDA) through technical assistance, aiming at accelerating the process of transformation of the agencies into Regional integrated Development Agencies (RDA).

During 2013, the programme was in the ownership phase. It has supported economic development by initiating a tourism development scheme in Northern Albania, started the work to create a visual museum to promote traditional and cultural values, strengthened capacities of the two LEDAs in Vlora and Shkodra, assisted in the implementation of priority projects enlisted in the Strategic Plans, supported women empowerment and gender equality, etc.

 

Activities in details

In the region of Shkodra,, two priority LED and tourism initiatives (Hotel Villages scheme in Kelmend Commune and Marubi Virtual Museum) have been launched and consultation meetings on post 2015 Global Development priorities have been organized with a particular focus on youth employment, environment and inequalities. In the region of Vlore, a Community Playground has been rehabilitated in Himare. Furthermore, UNDP ART in Albania has assisted Regional Councils in the presentation of the SPs to various donors both nationally and internationally i.e. “THE ADRIATIC–IONIAN MACROREGION. TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE”.  New partnerships have been initiated with fifteen new municipalities across Albania and priority interventions identified for upcoming co-financing schemes. A Local Governance Expert was hired to establish cooperation with new Municipalities and identify strategic projects. In this regard, fifteen Questionaries’ were conducted to identify cooperation venues with regards to priority projects. There have also been new partnerships initiated between French Decentralized Cooperation and Vlora region as well as a new partnership with Apulia region (Italy). Another partnership has been established with the new Ministry for Local Issues and joint activities have been initiated. Also, more than thirty meetings have been organized with LGU representatives across Albania. Besides, one project proposals has been developed in cooperation with the Regional Council of Kukes regarding  “Employment for Social Inclusion through Culture and Tradition Promotion (ESICT)” to be used in IADSA funding scheme. UNDP ART GOLD in Albania has also facilitated the successful completion of an independent tripartite evaluation undertaken by the Albanian Government, the Italian Government and UNDP Albania.

 

Results at national level

UNDP ART in Albania has facilitated the establishment of the National Steering Committee (NSC) through the creation of a connection with the Ministry for Local Issues and with the Ministry of Culture and Ministry for Urban Development and Tourism. Also, the national capacities of LEDAs have been strengthened. The Programme has also improved the cooperation mechanisms for national and regional actors as well as cooperation amidst national actors and UN agencies (IFAD, ILO FAO, IAEA and UNESCO.). Knowledge sharing and dissemination of information have also been fostered.

 

 

Further information:

• UNDP Albania website
• Virtual library

 

 

 

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