COMMON COUNTRY ANALYSIS 2020 UNITED NATIONS COUNTRY TEAM, ALBANIA INTERNAL UN DRAFT - JULY 2020 Revised on November 2020 This document is a living document and the information contained herein is subject to change. The assessment was made based upon available research and using the most recent available data. This document reflects analysis emerging as part of Covid-19 Socio Economic Plan. COMMON COUNTRY ANALYSIS 2020 UNITED NATIONS COUNTRY TEAM, ALBANIA INTERNAL UN DRAFT - JULY 2020 Revised on November 2020 CONTENTS Acronyms 6 Executive Summary 8 Process & Methodology 12 1.1 Country Context 14 - Demographic Context 14 - Political Context, Governance and Institutions 18 - Economic Context 28 - Social Context 40 - Environmental Context 44 - Human Rights Context 48 1.2 National Vision for Sustainable Development 52 - Country’s Key Development Priorities: National Vision 52 1.3 Country Progress towards Agenda 2030 54 - Overview on Achievement of SDGs 54 - Status and Progress on SDG Nationalisation and Localisation 56 1.4 Leave No One Behind 58 - Marginalised Women 58 - Discrimination Against Women – including against women who are marginalised and vulnerable 58 - Children and Adolescents 69 - Older Persons 77 - Youth 79 - Persons with Disabilities 83 - Roma 88 - LGBTQI Persons 89 - Refugees, Asylum - seekers, Returnees and Migrants 91 - Migration dynamics 91 - Other Factors of Vulnerability 94 1.5 Commitments under international norms and standards 96 - Implementation of Human Rights and Gender Equality Commitments: Key Achievements and Implementation Gaps 96 1.6 Cross-boundary, Regional and Sub-regional Perspectives 106 - Regional Context 106 - Analysis of Relevant Regional, Sub - regional and Trans-boundary Factors and Trends 110 1.7 Financing Landscape and Opportunities 112 - Foreign Finance 112 - Domestic Incentives and Landscape: Public and Private Finance 114 - National Budget Allocations 115 - Alternative Finance 116 1.8 Analysis of Risks 118 - Overview of Potential Risks 118 - Risk Mapping 119 1.9 Gaps and Challenges towards Achieving Agenda 2030 120 - Specific Risks on SDGs and Key Cross - sectoral Links between Targets 125 Appendices 128 Appendix A Risk Mapping—Multi-Dimensional Risk Analysis 129 Annex B List of indicators with a mid-term target (2024) established 131 Annex C Mapping of SDGs in NSDI II policy areas and Relative weight of contribution of spending 132 ACRONYMS ADFD Abu Dhabi Fund for Development ADHS Albanian Demographic and Health Survey ALL Albanian Lek CAT Convention against Torture CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CEFTA Central European Free Trade Agreement CERD Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination CMW Committee on Migrant Workers COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 CRPD Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities CSO Civil Society Organisation DCM Decision of the Council of Ministers DDGG Department for Development and Good Governance DRR Disaster Risk Reduction ERP Economic Reform Programme EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FDI Foreign Direct Investment GB–DV Gender-Based and Domestic Violence GBV Gender-Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GNI Gross National Income GoA Government of Albania GREVIO Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence GVA Growth Value Added GW Gigawatt HDI Human Development Index HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HLPF High-Level Political Forum ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICERD International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICPD International Conference on Population and Development ICT Information and Communications Technology ILO International Labour Organisation IOM International Organization for Migration IMF International Monetary Fund INSTAT National Institute of Statistics IPA Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance IPARD Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance in Rural Development IPH Institute of Public Health ISARD Inter-Sectoral Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development KKT National Territorial Council LFS Labour Force Survey LGBTQI Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender, Queer and Intersex MAPS Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support MIE Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy 6 Common Country Analysis 2020 MoFE Ministry of Finance and Economy MoHSP Ministry of Health and Social Protection MoI Ministry of Interior MTBP Mid-Term Budget Programme MW Megawatt NAPPWD National Action Plan on Persons with Disabilities NDC National Determined Contribution NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NHRI National Human Rights Institution NSDI National Strategy for Development and Integration NSGE National Strategy on Gender Equality ODA Official Development Assistance ODHIR Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OSCE Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe PBF Peace Building Fund PBSO Peace Building Support Office PDNA Post-Disaster Needs Analysis PFM Public Finance Management PISA Programme for International Student Assessment PMO Prime Minister’s Office PPP Private Public Partnership PRTR Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers P/VoT Potential/Victims of Trafficking REA Regional Economic Area RYCO Regional Youth Cooperation Office SDG Sustainable Development Goal SILC Survey on Income and Living Conditions SOGI Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity SRH Sexual and Reproductive Health SSS State Social Services TAP Trans-Adriatic Pipeline TUS Time Use Survey UMC Unaccompanied Migrant Children UN United Nations UNCT United Nations Country Team UNDRR United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNECE UN Economic Commission for Europe UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children Fund UPR Universal Periodic Review VAW Violence Against Women VAWG Violence Against Women and Girls VET Vocational Education Training VNR Voluntary National Review WB World Bank WBF Western Balkans Fund WEF World Economic Forum WTTC World Travel and Tourism Council Common Country Analysis 2020 7 Executive Summary lbania is an upper middle-income country Albania converge in the area of promoting realization on its path to European Union (EU) of the human rights that are the basis of democracy accession. European integration is the and the implementation of the rule of law. main driver of reform in the country and aA shared political priority. An overwhelming majority Albania is party to the nine core international human of Albanians, more than 90 percent, are pro-EU1, and rights instruments, covering the full range of rights, as Schengen Area visa liberalisation, granted in 2010, well as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal has perhaps been the most significant event felt by an Court, though the country is yet to ratify the Optional individual citizen since the fall of communism. Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and to the International In March 2020, the Council of the European Union Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights agreed to open accession negotiations with Albania, (ICESCR). Similarly, all the main Council of Europe marking another milestone. Reforming the electoral human rights instruments are signed and ratified, code, completing key steps in the judicial reform including the European Convention for the Protection implementation and continued progress on public of Human Rights and its protocols, and conventions administration reform, as well as combatting on the prevention of torture and cruel, inhuman or organised crime and corruption, are all necessary steps degrading treatment or punishment, on the action in the EU accession process. To date, all these areas against trafficking in human beings, and on preventing have witnessed varying degrees of domestic political and combating violence against women and domestic conflict. violence (Istanbul convention). The Council also notes the importance of human rights Albania’s legislative harmonisation to the adopted and of respecting the rights of persons belonging to international commitments is ongoing, in great part minorities.2 Moreover, reaffirming the interconnected sustained by its commitment to the EU accession and mutually reinforcing nature of human rights, process. Yet, the full and consistent implementation of democracy and rule of law,3 the Commission proposes the existing legislation is insufficient, further preventing to include these areas under a common thematic the systemic transformation of society that is needed cluster called “fundamentals”.4 Negotiations on the to ensure the enjoyment of human rights to all people. fundamentals will be open first and closed last and the progress on these will determine the overall pace of Albania is considered by most observers to be a hybrid negotiations. Therefore, the EU and the UN agendas in democracy, in transition towards a market economy 1. Balkan Barometer 2020 2. Council Conclusions on opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia available here 3. See Huma Rights Council resolution 19/36 on “Huma Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law” 4. Commission Communication on “Enhancing the accession process-A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans” of 5 February 2020 8 Common Country Analysis 2020