Governance, Rule of Law, and Human Rights

Outcome 3

By 2026, governance is more transparent and accountable, enabling people (women and girls, men and boys, and persons at risk of exclusion), to enjoy quality, inclusive services, enhanced rule of law and access to justice in line with Albania’s human rights commitments.

Albania has made notable progress in digitalizing public services – it now ranks 8th in Europe and 19th globally, with 95 per cent of services now available online – improving service quality and reducing corruption. However, significant governance challenges persist, including those of corruption, money laundering and illicit activities. According to the annual Trust in Governance survey, only 38 percent of respondents rated central government institutional transparency and accountability as satisfactory and 36 per cent, local governance. Even fewer believed there were sufficient opportunities to participate in the decision-making processes of public institutions (27% for central government; 37% for local government). Continued efforts are required to combat human trafficking and cybercrime and enhance the justice system to improve legal literacy, public trust, and marginalized group support. Although the country has made strides in aligning national strategies with the SDGs, challenges remain in data availability, gender-inclusive strategies, and climate change adaptation at the subnational level.

In terms of human rights, Albania has made progress in aligning legal frameworks with international standards, yet challenges in implementation persist, particularly in strengthening National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and addressing gender-based violence (GBV).

The National Strategy on Migration 2024–2030 and Action Plan 2024–2026 have been drafted, and implementation started. The new Strategy draws on many provisions contained in the existing national strategic plans (11 such documents). Despite legislative improvements, issues remain in migration management, the protection of migrants' rights, and refugee integration, with a shift towards regular migration for employment. Efforts to enhance public procurement and justice system reforms, supported by EU funding, aim to address these challenges. Strengthening local governance, enhancing women's participation and fostering regional cooperation are essential for advancing sustainable development and resilience across the country.

Empowering youth through peer to peer learning: A new generation of peacebuilders in Albania and the Western Balkans

A new generation of peacebuilders is emerging in the Western Balkans, driven by the values of inclusion, equality, and trust. These young leaders are poised to influence their communities and the broader region in meaningful ways.

Among others, a coalition of young people on peace and non-violence education is established, led by young people of the youth-peer network or otherwise known as Y-peer network, and the UNFPA is supporting its expansion and strengthening.

This initiative harnesses the skills and creativity of young people to promote constructive narratives, cooperation, intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and trust. Y-peer methodology is designed to empower young people as agents of positive change, placing their experiences and ideas at the centre of the learning process rather than relying solely on adult ‘experts’.

New generation of peacebuilders in Albania during a training

Learn more.

Access to Justice

Since 2016, Albania has made significant strides in justice reform, aiming to establish an independent and efficient system. However, challenges persist, particularly for marginalized women and children. Women, including those from rural areas and the elderly, women with disabilities, and those from the Roma and Egyptian communities, face barriers including discrimination, stereotyping and lack of awareness in the justice system, limiting their access to legal protection. Despite improvements in free legal aid and the introduction of a new judicial map, the system still struggles with court backlogs, delayed proceedings and inadequate resources for vulnerable groups. Addressing these issues requires stronger legal frameworks, enhanced child protection strategies and expanded legal aid services to ensure equitable access to justice.

UNICEF’s UPSHIFT team celebrate the many workshops held in 2024 to break down barriers and provide opportunities for young innovators to build a future

Good Governance, Participation and Voice

In 2024, Albania advanced its governance reforms, particularly in strengthening anti-corruption measures and improving financial oversight, leading to its removal from the Financial Action Task Force (global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog) grey list. However, challenges persist in areas such as human trafficking, cybercrime, and money laundering. While justice system reforms have expanded access to legal services, more efforts are needed to enhance legal literacy, rebuild public trust and ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups. Strengthening governance structures and promoting citizen participation remain essential to achieving Albania’s broader SDG and institutional objectives.

Young people learn about the Youth Guarantee, a European initiative to help youth into the job market

To promote good governance and civic engagement, the UN supported several transformative initiatives aimed at fostering transparency, inclusivity, and participatory decision making.

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Data and Evidence

Albania has made significant progress in assessing data availability for SDG indicators, achieving a strong index score of 75.03, ranking the country 42nd out of 166. However, persistent challenges remain, including gaps in rural–urban disaggregation, gender statistics and a limited culture of evidence-based policymaking. Strengthening Albania’s statistical systems and expanding data availability are crucial to ensuring effective governance and informed decision making.

UNFPA and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection host EURAG annual dialogue. EURAG is largest umbrella organization for older people representing 27 countries in Europe region

The UN has played a central role in enhancing Albania’s data ecosystem, facilitating capacity-building initiatives and strategic partnerships. In 2024, 121 data producers and users (110 women, 11 men) received training to strengthen gender data collection, analysis and dissemination. Institutional collaboration was reinforced through a dedicated MoU with INSTAT, alongside the establishment of an Inter-Institutional Working Group on Gender Statistics, ensuring alignment with international frameworks set by European Institute for Gender Equality and the UN Statistical Office. The SDG Roadmap for Albania now includes 15 gender-specific indicators, reflecting an increased commitment to GE and monitoring progress in key areas.

Public Sector Accountability and Quality Services

In terms of aligning its national development strategies with the SDGs, Albania has made considerable progress, particularly in integrating GE and social care into local development plans. Eighteen municipalities successfully incorporated these principles into their planning and budgeting processes, reinforcing sustainable decision making. However, challenges remain in fully implementing gender-inclusive strategies, ensuring equitable access to services for minority groups and addressing governance gaps at the subnational level. Strengthening regional cooperation, advancing women’s participation in governance, and bolstering local climate adaptation and DRR efforts are essential for long-term resilience and sustainability.

‘Fire Ideas – Not Guns’ - a campaign to ’Strengthening Control, Management, and Social Reintegration of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Albania’

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Albania’s public administration reform advanced significantly in 2024, supported by UN initiatives focused on digital transformation and anti-corruption measures. Digital transformation readiness assessments were conducted across 61 municipalities, resulting in national and local reports that provide a foundation for the modernization of local service delivery.

The monitoring system for the National Cross-Cutting Strategy on Decentralization and Local Governance was enhanced, equipping the Agency for Support of Local Governance (ASLG) with improved tools to track progress and drive decentralization efforts. Notably, 46 per cent of municipalities (28 out of 61) approved integrity plans as part of corruption prevention initiatives, with ASLG receiving capacity-building support to design and monitor these plans effectively.

Efforts to combat corruption were further strengthened through the Regional Anti-Corruption Roadmap, refined through a UN-led conference. Additionally, 55 practitioners received specialized training in victim-centred investigations targeting human trafficking and smuggling. Governance capabilities were reinforced through leadership training for 450 public officials, enhancing their capacity to oversee inspection systems and drive institutional accountability.

Public sector efficiency was improved through the ISO 9001:2015 certification of five central government agencies. Furthermore, pilot programmes introducing performance appraisal methods were implemented in five institutions, fostering a culture of results-based governance. Increased digital governance and citizen engagement were evident in the expansion of the e-Albania portal, which reported 3,253,060 registered users in 2024, a milestone in digital service accessibility and public sector transparency.

In parallel, the UN supported Albania’s European integration efforts through the Knowledge for Reform Action in the Western Balkans programme, guiding harmonization with EU accession priorities. This initiative provided strategic guidance for Albania’s national reform agenda, focusing on enhancing public financial management and ensuring greater efficiency and transparency in government systems. Key areas of focus include Cluster 5 (Chapters 11, 12, 22, 33), Cluster 3 (Chapters 10, 16, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29) and Cluster 1 (Chapter 5), aligning Albania’s institutional frameworks with EU standards.

Albania’s commitment to transparent, accountable and efficient public sector governance is reflected in the significant advancements made in digital transformation, anti-corruption initiatives and EU integration efforts. Continued investment in institutional capacity building, regional collaboration and performance-based governance mechanisms will be essential for sustaining these achievements and fostering an inclusive, citizen-responsive public administration.

Accountability and Oversight for Human Rights

In 2024, Albania made significant strides in aligning its legal and policy frameworks with international human rights standards, particularly in GE, child rights, and minority protection. However, implementation remains a challenge, particularly in strengthening the capacity and independence of NHRIs such as the People’s Advocate and the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination. Delays in appointing key officials continue to hinder institutional effectiveness, while gaps persist in data collection, public sector accountability, and systemic enforcement of human rights norms. Ensuring women’s participation in security sectors, addressing GBV and aligning national laws with international frameworks such as Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) and UPR remain critical priorities.

Reporting Through a Gender Lens - Journalists as Key Allies. UN Women’s annual Media Forum

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The UN has supported transformative initiatives aimed at strengthening Albania’s human rights framework. A CEDAW Implementation Roadmap was developed and adopted, guiding the government in revising GE laws and ensuring that the new Criminal Code aligns with international standards on violence against women (VAW). Additionally, the People’s Advocate played a crucial role in monitoring pre-screening procedures and living conditions in temporary reception centres for irregular migrants, providing key recommendations to the General Department of Border and Migration Police. While progress has been made, gaps in pre-screening processes continue to result in low referrals of asylum seekers to the asylum system, a concern also highlighted in the EU Progress Report on Albania. Advocacy efforts, in collaboration with international partners, aim to improve border procedures and reception conditions.

Justice for children was further promoted through a landmark report by the People’s Advocate, identifying delays and gaps in the justice system. Advocacy campaigns on child rights included a widely disseminated joint op-ed by the People’s Advocate, reaching 500 children, 100 teachers and 50 parents across 10 districts. These campaigns increased awareness of anti-discrimination laws and reinforced child protection mechanisms. Additionally, Parliament held three public hearings on child and adolescent rights, supported by the UN and fostering increased engagement and accountability among decision makers.

Children’s direct engagement with independent human rights mechanisms also increased, with 30 complaints submitted formally by children, highlighting strengthened access to justice. Albania’s UPR submission further demonstrated its commitment to human rights accountability. Despite progress made, challenges such as gender inequalities and persistent VAW continue to be raised by Member States. To support national follow-up efforts, the UN developed a parallel submission, which contributed to key UPR recommendations and will guide ongoing government action.

The Academy of Human and Minority Rights remains a flagship initiative, with its 2024 session engaging 22 young participants (16 girls, 6 boys), along with six alumni from previous years. The academy continues to build youth leadership in human rights advocacy. Additionally, technical support to the People’s Advocate facilitated improvements in the case management system, strengthening institutional responsiveness to complaints and violations.

UN engagement with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population focused on enhancing knowledge of demographic trends and strengthening policy formulation. Efforts to improve data collection and evidence-based policymaking were critical in ensuring human rights norms are integrated into national legislation and governance structures.

Albania has made substantial progress in strengthening its human rights framework, aligning legal structures with international norms and enhancing engagement with independent human rights institutions. However, sustained investments in institutional capacity building, GE and justice system reforms are essential to achieving systemic improvements and ensuring the full realization of human rights for all. Continued UN collaboration will be key to addressing existing challenges and advancing Albania’s human rights commitments.

Migration and Asylum

In 2024, Albania took a significant step towards modernizing its migration governance through adoption of the National Strategy on Migration 2024–2030 and Action Plan 2024–2026. This comprehensive framework aligns with Albania’s EU accession priorities and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. It addresses key challenges such as high outmigration, misuse of visa-free movement and integration of vulnerable groups, particularly unaccompanied children. By embedding gender-responsive and child-sensitive measures, the Strategy reflects the country’s commitment to an inclusive, rights-based migration system. Despite improvements in legislation and a decline in asylum applications, challenges remain in protecting migrant rights, improving data collection and integrating refugees and asylum seekers into public services.

IOM and Albanian Ministry of Interior in consultation to support drafting of National Strategy for Migration