On 17 October, the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Central Election Commission (CEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to intensify co-operation for advancing CEC’s capacities to carry out its work in line with OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and best international standards.

“This document is a symbol of a strong and continued co-operation between the OSCE Presence and the CEC. The CEC has been one of the key and most trusted partners of the Presence for years, and therefore support to Central Election Commission has been among our top priorities throughout my term. The three letters of the CEC should read Consistency, Efficiency and Credibility,” the Head of Presence, Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco, said at the signing event. He added that an impartial, capacitated and well-equipped electoral administration is crucial for the integrity of the electoral processes. “In this context, the Presence stands ready to assist the CEC in facing any challenges for the preparation and management of the 2023 local elections,” he said.

In the framework of the broader electoral reform, Ambassador Del Monaco highlighted that the Presence values the resuming of activity of the ad hoc parliamentary committee on Electoral Reform, and encouraged it to address the outstanding OSCE/ODIHR recommendations through a broadly consulted process. He said that, from a technical point of view and based on international best practices, time is getting increasingly short for substantive legal changes to be applicable to the upcoming elections.

State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi expressed his gratitude to the OSCE Presence, thanking Ambassador Del Monaco for his commitment and continued support to the CEC. “We have entered an important stage in the institutional relations between the CEC and the OSCE Presence, and today’s MoU testifies to our bilateral co-operation to date. I believe that we will keep the same level of co-operation in the future. We still have a lot to do; the local government elections are very close, so the support of the OSCE Presence, as one of our key partners, has a role to play in the good administration of the electoral process,” Celibashi said.

The agreement signed today establishes a strong foundation to move forward with tangible actions and interventions in a number of key areas. These include support to the CEC to address OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations and those stemming from the Albanian Assembly’s resolutions; enhancing its expertise for the administration of elections including on training and voter outreach capacities; and joining forces in facilitating the co-ordination of international assistance on electoral matters.

In line with its mandate, throughout the years, the OSCE Presence in Albania has provided continued support to the Albanian authorities, with the aim of facilitating consensual, timely and inclusive electoral reform processes, as well as offering technical assistance on improving the administration of elections.

Eleven journalists covering parliamentary affairs from different media outlets in Albania and staff of the Communication Service of the Assembly of Albania traveled to Ljubljana, from 27 to 29 October, to share experiences with their Slovenian counterparts and learn from their best practices. The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the exchange workshop with the aim of supporting journalists in improving the quality of their work, as well as bringing parliament closer to citizens. Similar visits took place in North Macedonia in April and in Austria in September 2022.

In Slovenia, participants made a tour of parliament premises and met with the Secretary General and the Head of Communication and Public Affairs Department of Slovenian parliament. Vivid discussions focused on co-operation with media, parliamentary reporting and institutional outreach to citizens through the media. The Slovenian officials answered questions on the functions of Slovenia parliament, work of the parliamentary committees and their approach to the media.

The Albanian journalists also met with representatives of the Slovenian public channel dedicated to parliamentary affairs, the Slovene Association of Journalists, the Slovenian Press Agency, and learned about their functioning, media situation and media relations with parliament, the government and political subjects in general.

At the end of the meetings, the Albanian journalists sat at a discussion table with Albanian Assembly and OSCE Presence staff to reflect about their exchange visits in all three parliaments. They proposed the organization of periodic meetings to be informed in detail about parliamentary affairs, and invited for the Presence’s continued support.

This event was organized as part of the “Support to parliament and civic education in Albania” project, which is supported by the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

As part of the Cybersecurity Awareness Month, from 19 October to 2 November 2022, the OSCE Presence in Albania reached out to children, parents, teachers, school psychologists and social workers to increase community awareness on cyber threats. The information sessions, which took place in Korça, Pogradec, Shkodra, Malësi e Madhe, Rrëshen and Lezha, also aimed at helping young people protect themselves online as threats to technology and confidential data become more commonplace. The Presence organized these events in partnership with the National Authority on Online Certification and Cyber Security (AKCESK).

The topics discussed with 360 participants focused on threats that citizens face online such as cyber-bullying, personal data phishing, grooming, hate speech, violent extremism and radicalization among youth, as well as on the early identification and prevention tools. The roles and responsibilities of teachers, parents and school psychologists were also in focus.

One of the participants, Kledisa, 15 years old, from Korça, said: “Thanks to this information session, I started to think and better understand the importance of being cautious and thinking critically when navigating online. Violent speech through the internet is dangerous for our friends and the society – we have witnessed such cases among our friends”.

The teachers said they found the methodology very interesting and useful for their work with youth in the future, whereas parents appreciated learning about parental control and how to improve communication with their children regarding their online activity, without judging them.

In April 2022, the OSCE Presence supported AKCESK in organizing a regional cyber camp with youth and professionals from the Western Balkans. The event aimed at increasing regional cyber-security co-operation in the Western Balkans through the creation of a network where young people, institutions and other stakeholders can exchange experiences and best practices.

The Presence will continue to work together with AKCESK, the Ministry of Education and Sports, and the National Co-ordination Centre on CVE to increase knowledge and raise awareness on cyber threats among children, youth, parents, school staff and other groups.

A Regional Conference on the investigation and adjudication of organized crime and corruption, gathering 45 justice sector stakeholders from across the region, as part of the OSCE Regional Trial Monitoring Project, opened on 15 November in Budva, Montenegro.

Participants will discuss common systemic issues in the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of organized crime and corruption cases. They will focus on sharing best practices, lessons learned and developing solutions to address the identified challenges.

Opening the Conference, Dominique Waag, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, said to participants that they know better than anyone the challenges in detecting, prosecuting and adjudicating the increasingly sophisticated organized crime with criminal schemes including money laundering and corruption.

“The judiciary’s response must keep pace with the changing dynamics, avoid being stuck in its own mechanics, making sure its response has sufficient deterrence to discourage criminal activity. Accepting trial monitoring is about increasing transparency and independence of the judicial process in the Western Balkans, building confidence in that process and responding to the commitment the OSCE Participating States made back in Copenhagen in 1990,” said Ambassador Waag.

Giulio Venneri, Team leader for Rule of Law and Democracy at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, thanked the OSCE for implementing this very demanding and complex project. He also thanked representatives of the judiciary and prosecutions from across the region for their readiness to engage and contribute to a meaningful stocktaking exercise, based on the initial findings of the interim report delivered by the OSCE monitoring teams.

“If we are in the room with practitioners who genuinely care for their citizens, it is a great opportunity to seize and jointly identify important ways to move forwards the overall efforts for the rule of law. We are here today because ultimately we trust your potentials. This is the most important thing to be flagged today,” said Venneri.

The regional project’s overall goal is to discuss concrete and actionable solutions and to issue recommendations in order to more effectively resolve corruption and organized crime cases in the region. The three-year project (2021-2023) is implemented in close partnership and with the financial support from the European Union.

The project has produced a podcast "The Path to Justice" translated in local languages which can be found here, which highlights the various aspects of the fight against serious organized crime and corruption in the Western Balkans, the role of the justice system in these efforts, and what this means for society throughout the region.

From 24 to 25 November, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and the OSCE Presence in Albania conducted a two-day regional training for representatives of civil society organizations and journalists from South Eastern Europe in Tirana, Albania. The training enhanced technical capacities and fostered discussions and knowledge sharing on the use of open data in preventing and combating corruption with a special focus on the transparency and oversight of public procurement processes.

The training provided participants with knowledge on relevant international legal and compliance frameworks as well as with practical open data tools and ways to analyse, visualise, use, re-use and investigate government disclosures on its decisions and expenditures of public funds, as an important anti-corruption measure used to ensure transparency and efficiency in public institutions’ functions.

“The future of transparent and accountable public processes lies in responsibly designed digital tools that enable full participation of all groups from all spheres of our societies. The role as civil society organizations and journalists is of the utmost importance and the OSCE stands ready to support them in fulfilling this important task,” said Professor Anita Ramasastry, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Corruption said.

Clarisse Pasztory, Acting Head of the OSCE presence in Albania emphasised: “I hope and believe that by gathering diverse speakers and participants such as yourselves, with representatives from civil society, media, international organizations and government, we will help to mend the gaps in open data and increase transparency. Transparency, which is crucial for trust and to counter misinformation or disinformation, and trust that is crucial for active citizenship.”

Around 40 participants representing international organizations, civil society organizations and media outlets from South Eastern Europe shared common challenges and good practices of their work through interactive discussions and a networking event.

The training was organized in the framework of the Presence in Albania’s unified budget and the extra-budgetary project, Promoting Good governance and a Positive Business Climate in the OSCE Region through Digitalization and the use of Open Data funded by the United States and Poland.

From 5 to 9 December 2022, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a study visit for Albanian officials to the Italian special detention regime 41-bis facilities. The visit was the first of this kind in Albania, following the introduction of the special regime in 2020 based on the model of the Italian 41-bis. The special regime puts several restrictions on the offenders, which, if applied improperly, may lead to violations of human rights.

The 12-member delegation was headed by Prison Police Director Paulin Rajta, and composed of Head of Prisons Internal Oversight Service at the Ministry of Justice Klevis Qose; MP Denis Deliu – member of both the National Security Committee and the Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights Committee; People’s Advocate Commissioner on the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Ahmet Prençi; National Legal Officer/Project Manager of the OSCE Presence Alba Jorganxhi, and senior prison staff.

The delegation was hosted by Judge Carlo Renoldi, Head of Department of Penitentiary Administration and by General Brigade Mauro D’Amico, Director of the Operational Mobile Group (Gruppo Operativo Mobile, GOM) under the Italian Ministry of Justice that co-organized and facilitated the study visit.

The participants were equipped with knowledge of the best domestic and international standards on human rights compliant management for high-risk prisoners. They also benefitted from the experience and practices of the Italian Penitentiary Police in the visited prisons. The programme included a visit to 41-bis detention facilities in Sassari and L’Aquila, and a visit to the Penitentiary Training School Giovanni Falcone in Rome, where participants were introduced with the training curriculum for the Italian penitentiary staff.

The study visit was part of the Presence’s project Strengthening human rights protection in Albania and of the extra-budgetary project Rule of law compliant responses to terrorism in the criminal justice system of Albania, which is funded by the governments of Austria and Norway.

The study visit builds upon the Presence’s support to prison reform in Albania and its active involvement in promoting the rights of people in detention. Earlier this year, the Presence developed and delivered a training module for the prison staff of the special regime. In 2021, the Presence organized a training session of prison staff of the Special Regime on the human rights compliant management of high-risk prisoners. In 2020, the Presence prepared an assessment report of the special regime for high security prisoners in Albania, in line with international good practice and in view of the specific needs of the offenders.

Apart from the special regime, the Presence has contributed to the achievements in the penitentiary system by offering legislative support to the legal package on the penitentiary system; working on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism (P/CVERLT) in prisons and probation settings; and establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology at Tirana University.

National and international experts gathered today in Tirana to discuss measures to combat technology-facilitate trafficking in human beings in Albania. The OSCE Presence in Albania and the OSCE’s Office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings organized the roundtable.

Participants from law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors, international and civil society organizations discussed how the national legislation, including within the National Referral Mechanism, is enhanced to address technology-facilitated trafficking of human beings. Special focus was given to what legal requirements are in place and what can be improved to ensure that online platforms do not facilitate illegal activities associated with trafficking in human beings, and measures to ensure rapid exchange of data between law enforcement and technology companies.

Opening the event, Deputy Head of Presence Clarisse Pasztory said: “You know from numerous reports, including OSCE's own research, how modern communication technologies, such as the internet, social media, and mobile applications, have really significantly changed how organized crime groups engage in human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants”. “Today you will not only discuss about the downsides of modern technologies, but also about the positive sides and opportunities, and will be hearing of good practices and positive effects both in Albania and in other countries how to harness technology to better investigate and prosecute human trafficking and better identify victims of trafficking. Both of these are issues on which the OSCE Presence in Albania is extremely engaged,” she added.

Member of High Court Sandër Simoni, Chief of Cybercrime Unit in the Albanian State Police Hergis Jica and General Director of the National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security Igli Tafa spoke at the opening of the roundtable.

The event was part of the wider efforts of the OSCE Presence to increase the capacities of institutions and civil society in Albania against human trafficking.

The OSCE Presence in Albania and the Constitutional Court announced today the winners of a competition for drafting of individual constitutional complaints. Twenty-seven students from public and private law faculties across Albania participated in the competition, and their submissions were marked by Constitutional Court justices.

Twenty-seven law students from public and private universities from across Albania took part in the competition organized by the OSCE Presence and the Constitutional Court. Their submissions were marked by legal advisors and judges of the Constitutional Court.

The winners were awarded at a ceremony that took place today in the presence of Head of OSCE Presence Ambassador Guido De Sanctis, Chair of Constitutional Court Vitore Tusha and former Court member Përparim Kalo.

Earlier this year, the OSCE Presence organized three training workshops on individual constitutional complaints with 200 students from Tirana, Vlora and Shkodra law faculties.

The Presence developed the project following a request of the Constitutional Court to popularize the individual constitutional complaints mechanism as well as address issues with the poor quality or inadmissibility of the submissions.

The constitutional justice reform of 2016 expanded the range of subjects and the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court with regard to individual constitutional complaints, enabling individuals to appeal against any act of public power that violates their fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Albania.

Ten journalists covering security and small and light weapons (SALW) issues from different media outlets in Albania travelled to Belgrade from 19 to 22 December 2022 to learn from the best regional practices and share experience with Serbian colleagues. Representatives from the Albanian Ministry of Interior, the Albanian State Police, the National SALW Commission and the Ministry of Interior of Serbia joined the meetings.

The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the media exchange visit in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia and with the engagement of the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) and UNDP Serbia.

“Media role in raising awareness to reduce the risk of SALW is an essential part of the project ‘Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of SALW’,” said Xhenis Ballco, the National Project Officer. 

During the visit, the Albanian journalists heard from Serbian journalists, members of the “Media against violence network”, how this network composed of 90 journalists helped them enhance reporting quality. They also had the opportunity to sit together, for the first time, with Albanian officials to discuss how to improve co-operation between the interested parties. The journalists and the officials expressed their commitment to maintain and intensify the dialogue on matters concerning them.

The media are a key factor on informing and educating the public, by directly contributing to the SALW Control Roadmap[1] goal four “By 2024, significantly reduce the supply, demand and misuse of firearms through increased awareness, education, outreach and advocacy”. Also, partnering with media is crucial for the OSCE Presence, as part of its mandate and efforts to promote freedom of expression.

The activity aimed at enhancing the role of media in public awareness raising campaigns and at assessing reporters’ capacity building needs regarding quality reporting, based on the Western Balkans best practices. It will be followed by capacity building and other supporting activities for the journalists.

The “Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of SALW” project is implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania, with the financial support of the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of France.

[1]https://www.seesac.org/f/docs/publications-salw-control-roadmap/Regional-Roadmap-for-a-sustainable-solution-to-the.pdf

Representatives of national institutions responsible for environmental inspection, enforcement and prosecution came together in a technical workshop on 2 February 2023. The event was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania that has taken the lead in conducting a baseline assessment on the inspection, investigation and punishment of environmental violations, in close co-operation with national institutions.

The workshop discussed the preliminary findings of the baseline assessment. The outcomes and inputs gathered from the institutions during the meeting will be elaborated by the Presence’s contracted experts, and incorporated in the final baseline assessment that will be delivered to the national authorities.

“Environmental violations pose a great threat to the economy, nature and tourism development and they are intricate to be addressed in terms of legal, inter-institutional and technical dimensions,” said Aleksandar Maskovic, Head of the OSCE Presence’s Department on Governance in Economic and Environmental Issues.

Anila Leka, a prosecutor from the General Prosecution Office, said: “Environmental violations must be seen in their complexity, both in the administrative aspect and then in the criminal aspect. We must be clear that the criminalization of violations should only come as a last resort as this is associated with economic costs”.

Josif Shtëmbari from the Albanian State Police said: “Environmental enforcement has become a priority of the State Police and this is also noticed by the increase in the number of cases identified and referred to the Prosecutor".

The workshop provided a platform for the stakeholders to come together and discuss how to work collaboratively and effectively on environmental issues ranging from legal and institutional framework to capacity, infrastructure and more.

The event was part of the “Enhance environmental governance and security in Albania” project, which is implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and funded by France and Norway.

From 22 to 24 February 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania hosted a regional expert meeting on advancing the regulatory framework of police canine units, in Korça. The event brought together representatives of such units from Tirana, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Belgrade, Skopje, Pristina, and canine experts from France and the United Kingdom.

The regional meeting aimed to intensify regional co-operation, transfer of knowledge and skills, and improve co-ordination actions amongst canine units benefiting from the OSCE assistance projects. It was organized as part of the project “Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)”, with the support of the OSCE Secretariat’s Forum for Security Co-operation Unit, and in co-ordination with OSCE SALW projects implemented in Western Balkan.

“The significance of this event is to provide targeted support to Western Balkans authorities in advancing their professional development, improvement of proficiency, deployment and overall capability of their canine units in detecting unauthorized use, transport and trafficking of SALW, ammunition and explosives,” said Slobodan Boskovic, Project Officer at the Forum for Security Co-operation Support Unit.

Participants discussed draft Standard Operating Procedures for the Albanian State Police Canine Training Institute developed under the auspices of the OSCE Presence’s SALW project. The document - designed to provide specific guidelines for dog handlers, instructors, and managers – was developed based on the relevant regional good practice and suitable international standards.

In addition, the participants discussed national and regional skills and proficiency criteria for competitions that will be organized by authorities of each jurisdiction of the region and will be supported through the OSCE projects. The event also served as a platform of networking among the public officials and canine experts, considering the similarities and challenges in all the Western Balkans jurisdictions.

“Such meetings are highly valuable, not only to exchange knowledge, experiences and challenges between regional homologues, but also to discuss on potential unified solutions in terms of processes and best practices for the improvement and development of Police Canine Units,” said Petrit Bushati, Head of the Breeding and Training Section at the Albanian State Police Canine Training Institute.

Xhenis Ballco, SALW National Project Officer at the OSCE Presence in Albania, said: “The SALW project will further assist the Albanian State Police Canine Training Institute to upgrade the infrastructure of the facilities and the existing surrounding areas. Moreover, it will purchase and deliver specialized vehicles and equipment for canine deployment and will provide ongoing accredited capacity building for its officials.”

“Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons” project is funded by the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of France.

The OSCE Presence in Albania, in close partnership with the Albanian State Police and with the support of the Central Election Commission and the General Prosecutor’s Office, started today the training of police officers who will be engaged with elections duties. The training courses, which will run until mid-April, address the role of the police in the electoral processes and come ahead of the 14 May 2023 local elections.

Opening the training course series, Head of Presence Ambassador Guido De Sanctis said: “As the new Head of the OSCE Presence, I am delighted to add to add an impetus to the continued support, which the OSCE Presence is offering to Albanian institutions to organize and administer elections in line with internationally recognized practices and reflecting the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. This training on electoral administration is something that we offer to you each electoral year as part of our institutional capacity building support. I encourage you to make good use of it and apply in practice what you will learn and share here today”.

General Director of the Albanian State Police Muhamet Rrumbullaku said: “I thank the Ambassador for the continuous support of the OSCE Presence in Albania given to the Police in years, which is clearly materialized today through this training. I also thank the Central Election Commission and the General Prosecutor’s Office for their contribution in this training, and want to assure the citizens, political parties, as well as our international partners that the police are focused on the correct implementation of the law and the law only.” 

State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi and General Prosecutor Olsian Çela also addressed the audience highlighting the role and importance of maintaining standards in creating a secure environment for citizens to freely cast their vote.

About 125 high- and mid-level police officers, including the deputy general director, directors of departments, regional police, and border police directors, as well as chief of commissariats and deputy regional directors will undergo training from 6 to 8 March. The training will then target about 170 trainers from 13 until 20 March, who will in turn start the cascade training for about 6,000 police officers. In addition, the Presence plans to produce some information leaflets to be distributed in some border crossing points for emigrant voters who will return to vote in Albania.

The OSCE Presence has organized election-related training for the Albanian State Police before each local and general election since 2005, while ensuring an increased ownership of the training activities by the State Police.

It is International Women’s Day 2023 — a day to reflect on achievements towards gender mainstreaming and on how cultural norms and social standards support women. Today we are taking a closer look at women police officers, which, in Albania, is often not considered an easy and suitable job for women.

Despite the challenges, there are many courageous women in the Albanian Police who are now playing significant roles and contributing to the security and safety of the country.

Two of these women are Orjola Lika and Vojsava Çopani. They are part of the Albanian State Police administration, and one of their tasks is engaging in the OSCE project, “Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)”. This project is being carried out by the OSCE Presence in Albania and is part of the Presence’s assistance to the Albanian State Police and the Ministry of Interior.

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Perspectives on being a women in the Albanian State Police

Orjola has been in the Albania State Police’s financial department for seven years. She was most recently appointed to the Albanian State Police Deactivation Unit. The Unit, through the Deactivation Centre, handles technical processes including verification, marking, certification and record keeping of firearms to be deactivated. The OSCE’s SALW Project is in the process of refurbishing the Centre by purchasing the necessary equipment to perform deactivation work and to support the Unit’s personnel with becoming certified for deactivation activities.

When she recalls the day she joined the State Police, Orjola’s eyes fill with tears: “I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. He was a police officer who lost his life during his service. Growing up with a father who was a police officer, I always dreamed of following his legacy.”

When Vojsava joined the Albanian State Police five years ago, she was a little unsure of her path, despite being an excellent student in the university. She entered in the police force through its excellence programme. She recalls the questions marks in her head during those first days and months at work, wondering if it was the right choice to join the police force, especially with it being a male-dominated environment. “Although women’s roles in the police force have become more widely accepted and recognized, it is still seen as a men-driven job, including by my family and friends. But I believe women have many qualities, such as leadership, management, positive approaches and active engagement, that can help increase the positive impact and perception of the Albanian State Police in communities, while also ensuring the security and safety of its citizens.”

Orjola echoes Vojsava’s perspective: “A lot has been done to increase the number of women in the Police Force, but much more is needed to be done. Not only in terms of statistics, but, more importantly, in terms of enhancing the role of women in key leadership and management positions.”

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Why mainstream gender

The Albanian State Police has set a target of 50 per cent women in its recruitment policy and has launched a women recruitment campaign to increase the participation of women and girls in police forces. While this is an important step, there is still much to be achieved in practice.

Some units of the Albanian State Police that are working with the OSCE SALW project, such as the K9 unit and the Deactivation unit, are facing great challenges with gender mainstreaming and incorporating women into their ranks. The OSCE project is now helping them address those challenges.

“We have developed the SALW Project’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy to directly contribute to gender equality efforts in the context of arms control while also helping beneficiary institutions and ensuring our project activities are proactively addressing gender issues,” says Xhenis Ballço, a national SALW Project Officer in the OSCE Presence in Albania.

Moving down the path of gender mainstreaming

The development of the SALW Project Gender Mainstreaming Strategy was done in consultation and close co-ordination with the relevant national authorities in Albania that handle the control of small arms and light weapons. This includes the Albanian State Police, the SALW commission, the Ministry of Interior and the project working group of the SALW project.

Each activity of the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy is designed to strengthen the capacities of these national authorities to include gender perspectives in their SALW control policies, implementation, and decision making. The Strategy will also ensure that all project activities, such as training courses, standard operating procedures, other plans and documents, and infrastructure reflect gender aspects. Additional recommendations for further gender mainstreaming activities will also be developed and discussed with project partners as part of the Strategy.

“I felt so privileged and encouraged to be engaged in this process of developing the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy,” says Vojsava. “I was able to share my challenges as a woman in the police force, as well as my ideas and my proposals on how our role can be further empowered within police forces and in society.”

Activities organized around the Strategy have been presented to various stakeholders of the Albanian State Police. They have welcomed the findings and expressed their will and availability to further engage with the project and its strategy.

“It is still a little too early to speak about impact, but we are really encouraged by the positive direction we see happening with several units of the police force,” says Xhenis. “We are also very happy to see Orjola being appointed to the Deactivation Unit. She is a great source of administrative support and adds another diverse perspective to the Unit.”

The OSCE SALW project is funded with the support of the European Union, Germany and France.

On 8 and 9 March 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a technical training for eight staff members of the Albanian State Police, who will be involved with the deactivation, inspection, verification, marking and certification of firearms.

The training was based on the manual “Operational guidance for verifiers inspecting deactivated firearms”. The manual was developed with the Presence’s assistance, as part of its efforts to improve the deactivation legislative framework, the establishment and implementation of a functional mechanism for firearms deactivation, as well as to increase of capacities of the Albanian authorities in this regard.

The training covered all technical processes, including verification, marking, certification and record keeping. It focused on international and regional developments and best practices of firearms deactivation.

The development of the manual and the training are part of the project “Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons”, which is implemented by OSCE Presence in Albania with funds by the European Union, Germany and France.

The project will also assist the Albanian State Police to improve the facilities of the Material-Technical Supply Centre, will purchase the necessary deactivation equipment, and provide certified capacity building for the deactivation personnel.

With less than two months from the local government elections of 14 May, Head of the OSCE Presence Ambassador Guido De Sanctis hosted today a meeting with the Heads of Missions of OSCE participating States and international organizations in Albania to exchange information and co-ordinate assistance and positions on elections.

State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi – who attended part of the meeting - briefed participants on the preparations conducted by Central Election Commission (CEC) ahead of the elections, and answered their questions. He thanked the OSCE and other international partners for their continuous support to the CEC.  

Ambassador De Sanctis spoke about the findings of the OSCE/ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission report and recalled previous recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR remaining to be addressed. Considering the CEC as one of the closest and most trusted long-term partners, he assured of the continuation of the support to this institution.

Today’s event was a special meeting of the OSCE Presence-initiated International Election Working Group – a forum of representatives of the OSCE participating States and international organizations in Albania that meets periodically to exchange information and co-ordinate positions.

On 4 April 2023, the University of Tirana and the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) signed a co-operation agreement, facilitated by the OSCE Presence in Albania, in the premises of the Greek university.

The memorandum of understanding aims at regulating the co-operation between the two universities on knowledge and technology exchange, through joint programmes and applied research, especially in the field of criminology. It also provides for academic and technical staff exchange, student exchange, internships and specializations, organization of study visits, seminars, conferences, publications and various scientific activities.

Tirana University Rector Prof. Dr. Artan Hoxha, who signed the agreement with his Greek counterpart Dr. Fotios Maris, said: “Thanks to the support of the OSCE Presence, this co-operation will contribute to the improvement of academic activities for students and staff of Tirana University’s Law Faculty. This faculty plays a special role including with regard to the justice reform and the developments of strategies and activities in the fight against crime, especially organized crime and corruption. All this activities benefit from the increase of capacities through international co-operation”.

The event was organized as part of the project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology,” which is financially supported by the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The OSCE Presence implements this project in close co-operation with the Law Faculty, with the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior.

Project manager Alba Jorganxhi said: “The Presence supports the co-operation between the University of Tirana and Democritus University to enhance the research capacities of Albanian criminal justice professionals, academics and policy makers in preventing and combating crime. Regional co-operation in both academic field and criminology enables attaining best international standards of rule of law and human rights.”

The two vice rectors of DUTH, the deans of the law faculties of the two universities and other senior academic staff also attended the event, which was followed by joint meetings with academics and students of the Democritus University.  

The Master’s Programme in Criminology – launched in December 2020 with the initiative and support of the OSCE Presence – enables students to explore the inter-relationships between crime, justice and society in a comparative context, as well as promote restorative justice for victims and victim-centred responses. Its comprehensive, integrated curriculum allows for various career paths in the justice system. Through the Master’s programme, the Presence aims at improving the research capacities of professionals, academics and policy-makers in Albania to identify root causes of crime. 

From 30 May until 2 June 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania together with the University of Tirana and the Faculty of Law organized a research visit to two prestigious universities in the United Kingdom and worldwide – the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

The visit aimed to build the capacities and resources of the Faculty of Law to deliver and manage the programme in Criminology, as well as to gather best practices on the establishment and work of university research centres.

The delegation from Albania was composed of University of Tirana Rector, Prof. Dr. Artan Hoxha, Dean of the Law Faculty Prof. Assoc. Dr. Dorina Hoxha, lecturers of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Social Sciences, and team of the OSCE project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology”. They met with professors and senior staff of both universities, including Head of Oxford University Sociology Department, Prof. Federico Varese, Director of the Oxford Centre for Criminology Prof. Ian Loader, and Director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge Prof. Manuel Eisner.

The exchange will also contribute to the establishment of the Research Centre in Criminology within the Faculty of Law in Tirana - as a hub that will facilitate sustainable research capacities in the field of criminology, continuous support to the Master’s Programme on Criminology, and contribution to data driven policy making.

“The Research Centre in Criminology will increase the scientific research and co-operation with the respective law enforcement agencies. The support of the Cambridge Institute of Criminology will guide us to new methods of scientific research and will create a basis for the development of joint projects in certain fields of criminology”, said Dean Hoxha. “The engagement of the best students with the Centre is a priority in order to motivate young researchers in the field of criminology”, she added.

OSCE Project Manager Alba Jorganxhi said: “Both Oxford and Cambridge universities have a worldwide reputation for excellence in research and teaching. The established co-operation will contribute to supporting a multi-disciplinary approach in crime prevention in Albania, in particular by developing the links between criminal justice and social justice. We are very pleased to facilitate this exchange and stand ready to support any upcoming co-operation between the universities”.

The OSCE Presence organized the visit as part of its extra-budgetary project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology”, which is financially supported by the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and implemented in close co-operation with the Faculty of Law of the University of Tirana, with the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior. The Master’s Programme, initiated in December 2020, offers a comprehensive, integrated curriculum that benefits various career paths in the justice system. Through the Master’s programme, the Presence aims at improving the research capacities of professionals, academics and policy-makers in Albania to identify the root causes of crime.

TIRANA, 6 June 2023 – The OSCE Presence in Albania, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Albania, the Ministry of Interior, and the Albanian State Police, launched today the Awareness Raising and Communication Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2027 on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). The first awareness raising campaign under the umbrella of the Strategy was also launched at the event.

Small arms and light weapons continue to present a significant threat to public safety in Albania[1]. The strategy and the action plan aim to reduce the demand for and misuse of SALW in Albania by implementing co-ordinated, inter-institutional, and comprehensive awareness-raising activities. The strategy also emphasizes the importance of constructive engagement and dialogue with the public.

Deputy Minister of Interior Besfort Lamallari, Acting Head of the OSCE Presence Clarisse Pasztory, Director of the Albanian State Police Public Security Department Rebani Jaupi and UNDP Program Manager Vladimir Malkaj addressed the event. International development partners, officials of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), civil society organizations, Local Safety Councils and the media were also in attendance.

Aligned and building on the achievements of “SALW, their Ammunition and Explosives Control Strategy of Albania”, the strategy seeks to reduce the demand for and misuse of SALW in Albania. The OSCE Presence developed the strategy following a series of consultation meetings with stakeholders – such as the Ministry of Interior, the Albanian State Police, the National SALW Commission, civil Society, Local Safety Councils, youth groups, media, SEESAC and UNDP Albania – based on data-driven research and incorporating regional and international best practices in awareness raising.

As the UNDP Albania launches and implements the Awareness Raising Campaign, the OSCE Presence will build upon these efforts by continuing the implementation of additional campaigns outlined in the strategy.

The strategy and the ongoing awareness raising campaign are integral parts of the SALW projects that are carried out by the OSCE Presence and UNDP Albania in partnership with the Ministry of Interior and the Albanian State Police.

The OSCE-implemented project receives financial support from the European Union, Germany, and France. The UNDP project is made possible through financial contributions from Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Norway, facilitated by the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund. The project is further supported by the European Union.

[1] According to South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, 430 SALW incidents, resulting in 32 fatalities, were reported in Albania in 2022.

On 5 and 6 June 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania held the last phase of a comprehensive multi-module curriculum training for state auditors on diagnosing and assessing corruption risks in the public procurement area. The training sessions – organized in partnership with the Italian Anti-corruption Authority (ANAC) – were designed and implemented together with the Albanian Supreme Audit Institution (ALSAI).

Since 2021, about 50 ALSAI auditors attended a series of capacity development and discussion sessions. The wide range of topics included corruption risk identification; risk assessment and management in procurement and public private partnership contracts; methodologies on conducting economic and financial analysis; and monitoring of public contracts. The participants discussed concrete case studies brought by the ANAC and recommendations to strengthen anti-corruption and transparency tools in the national framework. 

The training sessions offered ALSAI officials the opportunity to exchange information and share good practices with ANAC senior experts, as well as to strengthen the professional capacities of the auditors in conducting more qualitative public procurement audits.

The final two-day training focused on monitoring of public contracts and promoting innovative digital tools to improve public auditing. Addressing the event, Deputy Head of Presence Clarisse Pasztory, ALSAI General Director Mariola Llanaj, Public Procurement Agency General Director Reida Kashta and ANAC representatives Paolo Giacomazzo and Filippo Romano stressed the importance of transparency, accountability and efficiency in public procurement.   

From 12 to 16 June 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania, in co-operation with the General Directorate of Prisons, organized a training seminar for 25 senior prison staff of the special regime in high security prisons, the Prisons Internal Oversight Service, and the General Directorate.

The special regime – introduced in Albania in 2020 based on the Italian 41-bis model – puts several restrictions on the offenders, which, if applied improperly, may lead to violations of human rights.

The training provided the participants with the concepts, tools and skills to manage the high-risk offenders in the special regime. It focused on the specialization of prison staff on both security aspect and the management of high-risk inmates in compliance with the international human rights standards.

“This very valuable training aims for the special regime to be functional in the effective prevention of organized crime networks within the prison system and to minimize the possibility of orchestrating criminal activities from behind bars. It is part of the efforts of the Ministry of Justice and the General Directorate of Prisons to fight organized crime and maintain public safety. We are thankful to the OSCE Presence for being one of the main supporters of the efforts to reform the prison system,” said Admir Abrija, General Director of Prisons.

Director of Prison Police Paulin Rajta and Head of the OSCE Presence’s Rule of Law and Human Rights Department Cailean Maclean also spoke at the event. Brigadier General Mauro D’Amico – a former director of the Italian Penitentiary Police’s Gruppo Operativo Mobile, with a vast experience on the 41-bis regime – provided substantial contribution to the training.

In parallel, on 15 June, the Presence and the General Directorate of Prisons also organized a consultative roundtable on the special regime and its challenges. The event saw the participation or about 30 judges, prosecutors and senior staff of the Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure, and representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Office, State Informative Service, State Police, General Directorate of Prisons and others.

Earlier this month, the Presence finalized a training curriculum of the special regime prison staff, which will be incorporated in the professional training curriculum for prison staff delivered by the General Directorate of Prisons.

These activities build upon the Presence’s support to prison reform in Albania over the years and its active involvement in promoting the rights of people in detention. Most recently, in December 2022, the Presence organized a study visit for Albanian officials to the Italian special detention regime 41-bis facilities.

Apart from the special regime, the Presence has contributed to the achievements in the penitentiary system by offering legislative support to the legal package on the penitentiary system; working on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism in prisons and probation settings; and establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology at Tirana University.

The OSCE Presence will continue to provide support to the penitentiary reform in Albania.

On 26 June, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a workshop to unveil the findings of the Baseline Assessment on Inspection, Investigation and Punishment of Environmental Contraventions and Crimes in Albania. The baseline assessment for environmental governance, which is based on the analyses of legal framework, institutional capacities, and technical expertise, was commissioned by the Presence and conducted during the period of October 2022 – January 2023.

The baseline assessment was conducted in close co-operation with national authorities, by involving in the process officials of compliance and management agencies, police, prosecution, as well as representatives of civil society, media and academia. The baseline assessment highlighted the opportunities and 26 concrete recommendations to be addressed by national authorities. These recommendations and measures will support national authorities in drafting or reviewing existing or new policies, laws, or institutional framework, thus enhancing environmental law enforcement, inter-institutional co-operation and effective tackling of environmental contraventions.

In the presentation workshop, representatives of national institutions responsible for environmental inspection, enforcement and prosecution acknowledged and discussed the findings and recommendations, as an opportunity to enhance environmental governance and security in Albania. In addition, discussions also focused on potential ways and means to address the identified recommendations and measures in a tangible way.

Ambassador Bruce Berton, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, said that, “At the OSCE, we strongly believe that this project will support the authorities to adequately address existing gaps in terms of legal framework, capacities, and co-operation within the institutional chain dealing with environmental violations. The baseline assessment will serve as a guide for our joint work to enhance environmental governance and security.

Deputy Minister of Tourism and Environment, Almira Xhembulla, underlined the importance of the criminal code provisions to adequately tackle environmental violations. In addition, Deputy Minister Xhembulla stressed the progress made by Albanian authorities in terms of legislation revision and developed capacities, acknowledging the relevant support of OSCE Presence in Albania.

Representatives from General Prosecution Office, State Agency for Strategic Programming and Assistance Co-ordination, State Police and Embassies of Italy and France in Albania, emphasized the importance of inter-institutional cooperation for effective response against environmental violations and the progress made up to this point in terms of legal and institutional framework.

The Baseline Assessment was produced in the frame of an extra-budgetary project on Environmental Governance and Security in Albania implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and funded by the Governments of Norway, France and Italy.

The OSCE Presence in Albania will continue its multi-year efforts to cooperate and support national authorities in enhancing environmental governance and security in Albania, by addressing recommendations and measures identified in the baseline assessment.

The full text of the Baseline Assessment can be accessed under the publications section of the OSCE Presence’s webpage in Albanian and English versions: https://www.osce.org/presence-in-albania/546515

On 26-27 June, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a two-day training programme for seventeen members of the Albanian State Police (ASP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and General Prosecution Office. The training was held with the support of the Belgian Federal Judicial Police, Italian State Police, Guardia di Finanza, and Carabinieri’s Special Operations Group (ROS).

The training programme aimed at strengthening the overall investigative and operational capacities of the Albanian law enforcement agencies to counter transnational organized crime.

The training covered a number of topics, such as the European Union (EU) legislative instruments, one of them being EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats) focusing on high-risk criminal networks, and operational actions involving Western Balkans, financial and criminal investigation of transnational organized crime networks, analysis of data and use of special investigative techniques, as well as links between corruption and transnational organized crime.

This activity was organized by the Presence’s Security Co-operation Department and Department for Governance in Economic and Environmental Issues. It was held in the framework of the Presence’s projects “Supporting Albanian law enforcement to tackle serious and organized crime and improve regional co-operation” and “Consolidated Action against Corruption in Albania”. The aim of the above-mentioned projects is to assist Albanian law enforcement agencies in developing capacities, improving professionalism, learning from the best practices of their European counterparts, and supporting police development and reform.

On 26 June, Albanian public institutions and civil society organizations signed a new Co-operation Agreement for the National Referral Mechanism for Potential and Victims of Trafficking (NRM), developed thanks to the OSCE Presence’s technical assistance in the 2022–2023 years.

The new agreement targets existing and emerging types of trafficking in human beings and involves all pertinent institutions in order to guarantee adequate protection to potential and current victims of trafficking in Albania. It follows a thorough needs assessment analysis and consultations with state and civil society stakeholders, conducted by the Presence and the Ministry of Interior, in order to update the NRM framework in line with the Albanian human trafficking challenges, the legal framework, and ultimately with the OSCE commitments.

In remarks delivered at the event, the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Bruce Berton called attention to the fact that, “For the first time in Albania, the NRM Agreement incorporates the advisory board of the victims of trafficking through the shelters for victims of trafficking, makes it even more distinctive and in line with the OSCE’s victim-centred approach to addressing human trafficking”.

Fifteen representatives of Albania’s state institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs) signed the new NRM Agreement. It is worth noticing that the number of signatories has expanded compared to the previous agreement, to include state institutions, such as the State Agency for the Rights and Protection of the Child, the State Labour Inspectorate, the Free Legal Aid, the State Agency or the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets, and the State Employment Service, as well as CSOs that provide emergency and long-term assistance to victims of trafficking, thus, expanding the range of services available for adult and children victims of trafficking.

The OSCE Presence in Albania will continue to provide technical assistance to state institutions in the fight against trafficking in human beings, especially in supporting the NRM Agreement’s implementation through the provision of specific guidance and training.

An exchange of best practices on the functioning of Local Public Safety Councils (LPSCs) between the municipality of Elbasan and those of Lushnja, Cërrik and Gramsh took place in Elbasan, on 12 July 2023. The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the event in partnership with Elbasan Municipality with the aim to enhance the LPSCs effectiveness in tackling public security issues and promote co-operation between local institutions and non-institutional stakeholders to prevent and address security challenges within the community.

“Since its establishment with the Presence’s support in 2016, the Local Public Safety Council of Elbasan – the first of this kind in Albania – has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in increasing community safety and security. It now stands as an example of best practices that can be shared with other LPSCs across the country”, the Head of the OSCE Presence, Ambassador Bruce Berton, said at the opening of the meeting. He stressed that the success of LPSCs depends on the active engagement of all stakeholders – local officials, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, youth and media.

The event was attended by senior representatives of Elbasan, Lushnjë, Cërrik and Gramsh municipalities, including the mayors, the Head of Prosecution Office of Elbasan, the Director of Elbasan Local Police Department, and other representatives of various institutions and non-institutional actors, such as youth councils and civil society. They engaged in interactive discussions on the importance of LPSCs in preventing and addressing local security threats and best ways to make them act as bridges between the police and local institutions and communities to address public safety and security concerns. Security mechanisms established by Elbasan LPSC, as well as and civil society and youth initiatives on local safety and security were also presented at the roundtable.

Elbasan Mayor Gledian Llatja said: “We cannot be an island in Elbasan region or in Albania, thus we should share our experience with these community structures, be it good or bad, with each other, and create a safer environment not only in Elbasan municipality, but in the entire region and across the country”.

The Local Public Safety Councils – established in 56 out of 61 municipalities of Albania – are structures with consultative competencies, which bring together local stakeholders, such as local government, law enforcement agencies, civil society, youth, religious leaders and media, to discuss and improve the multi-agency co-operation in addressing local security and safety issues. The OSCE Presence in Albania has supported their establishment and functioning since 2016 and will continue to support these mechanisms with the aim to further institutionalize and strengthen their role in enhancing community safety.

Staff from constituency offices from all over Albania and senior parliamentary administrative officials came together in Shkodra on 14 and 15 July 2023. The co-ordination and training event – organized by the Albanian Assembly with the OSCE Presence’ support – aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the MPs offices’ staff.

On the first day, participants engaged in an open discussion and evaluation session, and learned from each other experience. On the second day, they participated in a tailor-made training programme focused on the boosting citizen engagement, introducing the Assembly to youth, facilitating meetings between citizens and parliamentarians, maintaining records and preparing evaluations. In addition, parliamentary staff discussed outreach activity plans for October-December 2023 to be implemented with the Presence support in regions such as Gjirokastra, Saranda, Vlora, Dibra, Shkodra, Korça and Elbasan.

“We value the irreplaceable and meaningful role of the Assembly services, and our support is a proof of our long-term commitment to create a more active and healthy relationship between the citizens and their institutions. Civil society and parliament have begun to reach out to each other and we, by supporting similar initiatives, are determined to help narrow this gap from both sides,” Ambassador Bruce Berton, Head of the OSCE Presence, said at the opening of the event.

Secretary General of the Assembly of Albania Genci Gjonçaj stressed that parliament is the house of people and it should serve them to the best, also through the constituency offices that act as connection bridges. He considered the role of the OSCE Presence as irreplaceable in this process.

For more than a decade, the OSCE Presence has been working together with the Assembly of Albania to increase parliament’s professionalism, accountability, and transparency. In 2015 and 2016, the Presence supported the opening of the constituency offices in Korça and Shkodra, and has since organized activities to consolidate trust and co-operation between the MPs and the local communities.

On 18 September, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized its ninth annual Media Development Forum, a platform for dialogue among media, public institutions and civil society. This year’s Forum focused on journalist safety, media legislation, and effects of artificial intelligence on the work of media in Albania.

During the opening remarks, Ambassador Bruce Berton, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, emphasized the commitment of the Presence toward the cause of press freedom and freedom of the media in the country. “It is crucial that the media are provided the tools and institutional policies to help them navigate the rapidly changing information ecosystem in a responsible and ethical manner. In keeping with OSCE principles that the government has committed to, as one of our 57 participating states, the Albanian public institutions must allow the media the space to operate in an unobstructed way. Thus, we encourage authorities to be mindful of balance, and carefully weigh in the dissemination of information that is important for the public to know. Facts must always be allowed to come to light, even they if call for accountability or call out abuses or corruption,” Ambassador Berton said.

Adea Pirdeni, Albanian Deputy Minister of Justice, Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, Chargé d’affaires a.i., EU Delegation to Albania, Giulia Re, Head of the Council of Europe (CoE) Office in Tirana, also delivered welcoming remarks.

The Forum’s second session was dedicated to the main challenges emerging with the recent extended use of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on media. Discussions focused on the importance of transparence, access to information and the verification of facts as a tool in the fight against corruption and in promoting professional journalism.

A special ceremony was held during the Forum to announce the winners of the OSCE Fact Checking Competition 2023. They are:

• Arbjona Çibuku from Citizens Channel for the article "The Orbital Forest of Tirana".
• Esmeralda Cenollari from Faktoje.al for the article: "By Pass of Vlora".
• Ilda Koçi from Faktoje.al for the article "All the roads of Shijak lead to the Park, a bill of 40 million lek for the park that does not exist!”.

This year’s Competition was focused more on fact checking and use of open-source data, aiming to promote fact-based journalism, advocating the use of publicly-sourced data, and championing solid newsgathering skills.

On 25 September 2023, OSCE Presence in Albania and the School of Magistrates held a joint ceremony to launch a new course on environmental legislation and judicial enforcement mechanisms. 

The one-semester course – part of the initial education program for magistrate students – focuses on administrative, civil and criminal aspects of international and domestic environmental legislation. It was developed by a joint team of international and national experts brough together by the OSCE Presence in Albania.

Addressing the event, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania Ambassador Bruce Berton said: “The new course will empower the future prosecutors and magistrates to be catalysts for positive change, ensuring that Albania's natural wealth is protected and cherished for generations to come”.

Albert Rakipi, Director of the School of Magistrates, thanked the Presence for the support in developing the course, and announced that the School board has approved the course which will kick off this academic year.

Taking into consideration the growing concerns for complex and organized environmental crimes, the new course will support the capacities of upcoming generations of prosecutors and judges to adequately tackle and deal with environmental cases and bring perpetrators to justice. It will equip the future prosecutors and magistrates with the knowledge and tools to address environmental challenges, enforce environmental laws, and safeguard the rights of citizens who seek justice in environmental matters. This will significantly lead to an enhanced effectiveness of law enforcement agencies’ response against environmental contraventions and crimes.

The course was developed under the extra-budgetary project to enhance environmental governance and security in Albania implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and supported by the governments of Norway, France and Italy.

The OSCE Presence will continue supporting national authorities in enhancing environmental governance and security in Albania.

A ceremony to celebrate the first 30 graduates of the Master’s degree in Criminology and to thank all those that made possible this programme took place at Tirana University’s Law Faculty on 27 September 2023.

The Master’s Programme – established in December 2020 upon the initiative and support of the OSCE Presence in Albania – aims to enhance the research capacities of criminal justice professionals, academics and policy makers in preventing and combating crime in Albania in line with human rights standards and OSCE commitments. It is the first Executive Master Programme in Albania included in the third cycle of studies, making it equivalent to a doctorate degree.

“Today, we are harvesting the results of our efforts, following more than five years of intensive work. The Master’s Programme in Criminology has already shown the potential to being ground-breaking for the country: departing from a classic approach to crime, based on investigation and punishment, and switching focus and effort to a more encompassing, restorative, and empirically sound approach”, said Ambassador Bruce Berton, Head of the OSCE Presence.

Rector of the University of Tirana Prof. Dr. Artan Hoxha said: “The Executive Master has advanced the scientific research in the field of criminology, which will enhance the capacities of the academic staff and students. The implementation of the OSCE Presence’s project on establishing the Master’s Degree has improved the academic infrastructure by increasing the participation of students in scientific research”.

Since 2019, the OSCE Presence and the Faculty of Law have worked intensively to develop the structure and curricula of the programme, and building the capacities and resources of the University of Tirana to deliver and manage it. The 90 students enrolled so far in this programme come from a variety of backgrounds. They are mostly police judicial police officers, defence lawyers, Security Academy lecturers, staff of Albanian parliament administration, civil society activists and criminal justice experts. The Master’s Programme offers a comprehensive, integrated curriculum, which is beneficial for various career paths in the justice system.

The event was organized as part of the OSCE Presence’s extra-budgetary project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology,” funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, the British Embassy in Tirana and the Government of Italy. The OSCE Presence implements the project in close co-operation with the Faculty of Law of the University of Tirana, with the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior.

From 26 to 28 September 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a peer exchange visit for a delegation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to Romania with the aim of establishing co-operation and exchange experiences and best practices with regional law enforcement agencies.

The delegation led by NBI Director Aida Veizaj met with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, the National Anticorruption Directorate and the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center.  

The Director of the NBI and her counterparts in Romania emphasized that co-operation, continuous exchange of information and joint investigations between the law enforcement agencies of the two countries are essential in the fight against organized crime, corruption and terrorism, which have extended beyond borders.

The OSCE Presence will continue to assist Albania’s National Bureau of Investigation in building capacities, and the efficient consolidation of its functioning.

On 27 September 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania and the School of Magistrates organized a training-of-trainers workshop with the academic staff of the School of Magistrates, judges and prosecutors to introduce a methodology for the development and delivery of mock trial-based training for human trafficking cases.

The workshop presented the participants with a set of guidelines on how to conduct a mock trial based on a learning-by-doing methodology tailored to the Albanian legal framework.

The methodology will contribute to the future judges and prosecutors’ understanding of the issues and challenges typical of trafficking in persons cases and will enable them to hone their skills in handling such cases.

Opening the event, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania Ambassador Bruce Berton said: “The scale of human trafficking calls for urgent steps to enhance the criminal justice response to prosecute and convict traffickers, while placing a special focus on the victim-centred approach”.

Director of the School of Magistrates Arben Rakipi emphasized the importance and practical implications of the mock trial-based methodology, which can be adapted to the existing education programmes of the School.

The OSCE Presence is working together with the School of Magistrates on a number of initiatives to support the advancement of anti-trafficking programmes in both initial and continuing education. These efforts are part of an extra-budgetary project of the Presence funded by the governments of the United States of America, Norway, and Italy. Also as part of this project, the OSCE Presence will publish a manual on mock trial methodology.

Fourteen members of the Albanian State Police (ASP) participated in a training programme titled “Synthetic Drugs Trafficking - A Global Growing Threat” from 27 to 29 September 2023. The training was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania with the support of the US Justice Department International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Belgian Federal Judicial Police.

The training programme introduced the ASP investigators with the latest trends in production, illicit trafficking, and distribution of new synthetic drugs regionally and globally. It also provided them with the best international practices in investigating and dismantling organized crime groups involved in illicit trafficking of synthetic drugs.

The activity was part of the OSCE Presence’s projects “Supporting Albanian law enforcement to tackle serious and organized crime and improve regional co-operation” aiming to assist Albanian law enforcement agencies in developing capacities, improving professionalism, learn from best practices and supporting police development and reform.

From 25 to 29 September, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, the Mobile Training Team and the OSCE Presence in Albania, conducted an intensive training programme in Tirana, Albania, focusing on behavioural analysis, interviewing techniques, and crisis management. It benefited twenty border and counter-terrorism officers, as well as representatives from the Security and Investigation Academy of the Albanian State Police.

Laureta Spirollari, Director of the Migration Directorate within the Border and Migration Department of the Albanian State Police, endorsed the pilot program. "This training equips us with the tools to successfully detect and identify both perpetrators and victims. I eagerly anticipate the OSCE's continued efforts to organize more of these invaluable training sessions, with the aim of reaching investigators and frontline officers alike. As always, the OSCE has proven to be an exceptional partner in ensuring that the training leaves a lasting impact on the participants, enriching their professional knowledge," she said.

Gertian Brovina, a Senior Investigator from the Counter Terrorism Department of the Albanian State Police, underscored the ever-evolving nature of terrorism. "The dynamic landscape of terrorism necessitates continuous learning, adaptation, and innovation in our counter-terrorism strategies. Therefore, we must promote close cooperation among all frontliners in the fight against terrorism, ultimately contributing to safer communities," he said.  

The participants learned how to assess travelers’ behavior at border crossings and identify suspected foreign terrorist fighters, cross-border crimes, as well as victims of such crimes. Through hands-on and scenario exercises, Albanian police officers practiced how to deploy effective interviewing techniques while upholding human rights and refraining from discriminatory profiling. They also discussed strategies to manage potential crises at borders while taking into account the unique needs of women, men, girls, and boys.

The event received funding support from the United States and Germany, which support deployment of the multi-national OSCE-led Mobile Training Team. The Mobile Training Team currently comprises sixteen border and counter-terrorism experts from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation.

Strengthening the capacities, increasing transparency and promoting good governance in the public procurement in Albania was the aim of a project run from the OSCE Presence from 1 September 2020 until 30 September 2023. The three-year project was financed by the governments of Italy, France and Slovakia.

In close co-operation with the Albanian Public Procurement Agency and the Albanian School of Public Administration, the Presence supported the drafting of a new comprehensive multi-module curriculum on public procurement. The document covered the legislative framework and various aspects of public procurement procedures, with an enhanced focus on integrity and risk management tools, which are essential for an efficient and effective use of public funds.

As part of the project, 19 experts participated in a 10-day training-of-trainers intensive capacity development programme. They are now part of the ASPA pool of trainers that will provide continues training to about 2,000 public procurement officials across the country. The first training for 120 public procurement officials was piloted from June to September 2023.

The Presence also partnered with Hertie School of Governance in Berlin and the Albanian Institute of Science to facilitate technical discussions and independent research to identify risks and prevent corruption in targeted public procurement sectors, providing relevant recommendations to the stakeholders to improve the operational and policy framework.

Additionally, with the active involvement of civil society, the project focused on increasing awareness on transparent procurement and need for effective anti-corruption measures. This was done through different fora, which promoted the idea of data transparency as a cornerstone for independent oversight.

The project concluded in September 2023 with a consultative meeting with the main stakeholders and beneficiaries. The participants discussed lessons learned during the project implementation and concrete suggestions and recommendations for the institutions on how to sustain the project results.

The OSCE Presence remains committed to support the Albanian institutions and civil society with technical assistance and expertise to advance the anti-corruption reform in the country and strengthen economic governance.

On 17 October 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania presented a project on electoral reform and processes, aiming to contribute to an all-inclusive and participatory electoral process in Albania in line with OSCE commitments and OSCE/ODIHR recommendations.  

The OSCE project “Support to electoral reform and processes in Albania” is financed by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Poland. It will run until November 2026. The project’s overarching goals include support to the authorities with expertise and assistance for the implementation of the out-of-country voting in the upcoming parliamentary elections; contribution towards the improvement and de-politicization of electoral administration through a systematic and professional electoral training; and enhancement of direct democracy.

Additionally, the project will assist the Albanian authorities to improve election logistics capacities, contributing to the modernization of training and outreach capacities and enhancement of technological infrastructure for the proper implementation of out-of-country voting.  

“This project marks a significant milestone in our journey toward strengthening elections in Albania and ensuring that the voice of citizens is heard and valued in the electoral process. It reflects our dedication to fostering an electoral process that is transparent, inclusive, and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Albanian people,” Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania Ambassador Bruce Berton said at the event.

Ambassador of Sweden in Albania Niklas Ström, Ambassador of Switzerland in Albania Ruth Huber, and Head of Political and Economic Section of Embassy of Poland in Albania Tomasz Frączkiewicz also addressed the event. “The generous contributions of your governments further empower the Presence to assist our Albanian partners with a deeper and more comprehensive approach in a number of areas. We deeply appreciate your visionary commitment and unwavering trust in our mission,” Ambassador Berton said.

The primary beneficiaries of the project are the Central Election Commission, the Assembly of Albania, and the Albanian citizens. The project’s work will be carried out in co-ordination with other national and international partners, and with the OSCE/ODIHR.

The initiative is part of the overall goal of the Presence to promote democratization, the rule of law and human rights, as well as to consolidate democratic institutions in conformity with OSCE principles, standards and commitments. 

The Central Election Commission of Albania in co-operation with the OSCE Presence organized a national high-level conference titled “Voting from abroad - the way forward”, on 19 October 2023. The conference facilitated discussions among relevant stakeholders on how the Assembly can address the legal gaps in the Electoral Code identified by the Constitutional Court, and other crucial elements of voting from abroad.

The conference brought together members of parliament, main political parties, state institutions, diaspora representatives, civil society actors and international partners.

“Out-of-country voting is a matter of both principle and practicality. Albania has already addressed the first part of the issue, by regulating in principle the right of its citizens living abroad to vote. What remains a challenge is how to ensure the proper and effective exercise of this right in a practical sense, which has proven to be complex. The time is now to address the specific issues regarding the execution of that political consensus which was achieved in 2020,” Head of the OSCE Presence Ambassador Bruce Berton said at the opening of the event. He added that it is crucial that any decisions - be it on legislative gaps or practical arrangements - arise from a wide-reaching consensus, based on a thorough assessment and comprehensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders, from political actors to civil society and the diaspora community.

State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi said: “The amendment of the Electoral Code is the first and sine qua non step to enable voting from abroad in the general elections for the Assembly of Albania in 2025. Therefore, to the degree that is institutionally possible and allowed to the CEC, we urge the ruling majority and the opposition to agree on the required changes to the Electoral Code regarding voting from abroad. It is important that the rules on the registration of voters from abroad, the method of voting and the counting of votes, the output of the result and the calculation of mandates based on this result are approved as soon as possible, preferably within this year, as the Constitutional Court has decided”.

Ambassador of Switzerland Ruth Huber, chargé d’affaires of the Delegation of the European Union Luigi Soreca and US Embassy’s Political-Economic Counselor Allison Dyess also spoke at the event.

Experts engaged by the OSCE Presence and International IDEA informed conference participants of the standards and models regarding registration of voter from abroad, the voting and counting process, and the representation of voters from out of country.

The conference was the first activity under the OSCE Presence’s project “Support to electoral reform and process in Albania”, which is funded by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Poland.

The OSCE Presence will support the Assembly of Albania, the Central Election Commission, other state institutions and political actors in view of preparing the legal and administrative framework for the successful implementation of the out-of-country voting in the 2025 parliamentary elections.

On 26 and 27 October 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania in close co-operation with the Albanian School of Magistrates, organized a training on “Investigation and adjudication of criminal offences related to public procurement”. The training was designed in line with the areas of interest expressed by prosecutors of the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) and judges of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime in Albania, who were the main beneficiaries of this activity.

The training programme aimed at boosting up the overall capacities of SPAK prosecutors and Special Courts to conduct criminal investigations of high-level corruption and transnational organized crime groups. It focused on risks associated with procurement procedures, legal novelties, special techniques in investigating criminal offences related to public procurement, concessions and public private partnerships, sharing of best national and international practices in this field and through international co-operation. Case studies were also discussed during the interactive training. 

Addressing the event, Chief Special Prosecutor Altin Dumani noted: “SPAK has paid special attention to criminal offenses committed in the context of corruption of public officials, which also include those in the field of public procurement. The new approach followed consists of increasing the effectiveness of investigations through a rise of human capacities, mainly in the field of financial investigations. On the other hand, the legal formulation of related offences may need further improvement.”

This activity was held in the framework of a joint cross-departmental effort of the OSCE Presence to support Albania further advance the implementation of the anti-corruption reform in the country and consolidate rule of law, key justice institutions, and civil society organizations working with the justice system through application of international best practices in line with international standards and OSCE commitments.

The OSCE Presence in Albania has been a long-standing partner of the judiciary, providing them with continuous support in their professional development process. The Presence will continue to support the consolidation and efficient functioning of justice institutions.  

In his final event as Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, on 7 December 2023, Ambassador Bruce Berton hosted a special meeting of the International Election Working Group with the Heads of Missions from OSCE participating States and international organizations in Albania. The meeting focused on sharing insights of OSCE/ODIHR recommendations from the Final Report on 14 May 2023 local elections and the recent follow-up visit in Tirana. Additionally, the discussions covered the latest efforts related to electoral reform and the need for continued progress in this regard.

“It is my hope that the leaders and representatives of the various political parties and groups will rise above their partisan divisions and interests, taking concrete steps toward meaningful reform,” Ambassador Berton said. “The Assembly’s decision on the establishment and functioning of the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on Electoral Reform defines the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations as the main guideline for electoral reform. The recommendations are directed at a wide range of stakeholders, including political actors, the Central Election Commission, state authorities, public institutions, and others, each responsible for playing their part.”

While stressing that all recommendations are important and deserving of attention, Ambassador Berton highlighted three major areas that require particular consideration:

• A thorough and swift investigation of allegations of serious electoral violations, such as vote-buying, voter pressure, and the abuse of state resources for electoral gain, combined with raising awareness of these negative phenomena;

• Ensuring the secrecy of the vote through effective procedural safeguards enforced by responsible authorities to prevent voter intimidation, group and proxy voting, etc.;

• Addressing issues related to the role of the media in elections, particularly avoiding or at least limiting the use of materials produced by parties/state authorities in news and promoting an independent and genuinely diverse media environment that is free from political/corporate influence, as well as limiting the concentration of media ownership.

Participants expressed full support for the OSCE’s work on electoral assistance, and emphasized the importance of properly addressing all outstanding OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, and encouraged political actors and election stakeholders to engage in a meaningful, inclusive, and timely electoral reform process.

The International Election Working Group is a forum initiated by the OSCE Presence in Albania, meeting periodically to exchange information and co-ordinate stances and assistance on electoral issues.

About 45 women councillors from Vlora, Shkodra and Tirana regions participated in three tailored information sessions organized by the OSCE Presence as part of its Women Municipal Excellence Programme #WoMEP, during the first two weeks of December 2023.

The primary objective of these activities was to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of newly elected women councillors. By equipping them with the necessary tools, the information sessions sought to empower these local representatives, enabling them to excel in their roles. Furthermore, the participants actively engaged in discussions to identify their needs and expectations, contributing to the strategic planning of WoMEP activities for the year 2024. The women councillors also delved into setting development priorities for local governments and mastering the intricacies of municipal budgets and fiscal policies.

Since 2020, WoMEP stands as a flagship initiative in the Presence's efforts to foster gender equality at the local level. This innovative program is specifically designed to empower women councillors serving in Albania’s 61 municipal councils, emphasizing critical aspects such as gender equality, leadership, and management skills. The ultimate goal is to support and guide the women councillors, fostering tangible changes within their respective local councils.

Effective and functional environmental governance relies on enhanced institutional technical expertise and proactive public engagement. Recognizing the intricating aspects of environmental challenges, the OSCE Presence is working with environmental compliance and enforcement agencies to enhance their technical resources to address environmental violations and increase the role and participation of citizens in environmental governance.

Against this backdrop, as part of its ongoing efforts, the OSCE Presence has taken the lead in undertaking two significant documents, such as a public survey on environmental governance and a training need assessment across the institutional chain dealing with environmental violations. 

On 19 December 2023, the Presence unveiled and discussed the preliminary findings of both reports with 30 participants such as prosecutors, environmental inspectors, police officials, civil servant officials, and civil society organizations. The technical discussion further elaborated and deepened the findings, which will guide and support the Presence’s work in designing advanced and targeted training programs for institutions and public environmental awareness-raising campaigns.

Opening the event, Head of the OSCE Presence’s Department on Governance in Economic and Environmental Issues Aleksandar Maskovic said: “The insights discussed here will help to discuss future training programs and also contribute to the development of a robust and co-ordinated strategy among all stakeholders.”

Anila Leka, a prosecutor from the General Prosecution Office, underlined the importance of building capacities of prosecutors on environmental violations which fall in line with the efforts to revise the whole criminal code of Albania.

The survey on environmental governance indicated that 86% of respondents have shown high interest to contribute for the environmental governance in Albania. The survey tackled other relevant issues such as the nexus of environmental violations with corruption and gender. The obtained results will support the Presence and other relevant stakeholders to design and initiate targeted environmental campaigns.

The training need assessment underlined the importance of systematic training programs for civil servant of institutions dealing with environmental violations. It shed light on the current state of affairs, identified gaps in knowledge and skills, and ultimately pave the way for strategic interventions that will empower relevant stakeholders in their efforts to combat environmental crimes effectively.

The public survey and training need assessment are developed under the extra-budgetary project to enhance environmental governance and security in Albania implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and supported by the governments of Norway, France and Italy.

Environment and law enforcement officials from Albania conducted a study visit to Slovakia focused on environmental inspection and investigation of environmental crimes, on 30 and 31 January 2024. The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the visit as part of its efforts to increase national capacities to address environmental governance and security challenges.

During the meetings with Slovak counterparts, the 11-member delegation learned about the domestic and international standards on environmental enforcement and investigation of environmental crime in Slovakia. They also benefitted from the experience and practices of the Slovak Environmental Crime Unit, its police structure of 200 environmental crime police officers and their interinstitutional co-ordination. The delegation was received by officials of the Slovak Police Department for Detection of Hazardous Substances and Environmental Crime, Prosecution Office, Ministry of Environment, Customs Authorities, State Inspectorate and the Ministry of Agriculture of Slovakia.

“Environmental crime legislation approximation is at an advanced stage in Albania. However, its implementation needs a co-ordinated strategic approach among various institutions, as well as capacity and expertise building for officials, and increase of public awareness”, Arta Dollani, Director of National Environmental Agency of Albania, said.

The study visit was part of the OSCE Presence’s project “To enhance environmental governance and security in Albania”, funded by Italy, France and Norway. Last year, the Presence developed and delivered a new curriculum on environmental legislation for the School of Magistrates, and supported a Training Needs Assessment for all institutions dealing with environmental enforcement.

Ten representatives from civil society organizations, Local Safety Councils, Ministry of Interior and Albanian State Police were on a visit to Zagreb, Croatia, on 30 and 31 January 2024, to exchange best practices and strategies when designing and implementing local and national awareness raising initiatives on firearms. The visit was organized by the OSCE Presence as part of its project “Assisting the national authorities of the of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW)”, funded by the European Union, Germany and France.

The Albanian delegation had the opportunity to learn from Croatia’s extensive experience and sustainable strategies on raising awareness on the risks and misuse of firearms. They met with representatives of the Croatian General Police Directorate, Centre for Forensic Examinations, Informative Centre for Prevention, and Velika Gorica Police Station. They also visited the Red Cross Zagreb and its centre for volunteers and youth, where they were introduced to various youth-focused awareness raising and prevention initiatives on the risks of firearms.

“The exchange visit was a useful experience for us to see how awareness raising campaigns on the firearms are implemented in the context of Croatia. After this visit, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence’s project, we will develop a plan for the implementation of outreach activities in our communities,” said Ervin Muço, General Director of Elbasan Municipality’s Protection and Social Inclusion Directorate.

The recently developed Awareness Raising and Communication Strategy on the Misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons highlighted that the Local Safety Councils and civil society organizations are well-implanted partners, especially among hard-to-reach target groups. The selected Local Safety Councils and civil society organizations that were part of the visit to Croatia have played an important role in the conceptualisation process of the strategy. They have also expressed their willingness to co-operate with the Ministry of Interior and the Albanian State Police on local and national awareness-raising outreach activities in Albania to be implemented as part of OSCE’s SALW project.

“This is assessed to be an exceptional platform to bring together representatives of Local Safety Councils, civil society, Interior Ministry and State Police when implementing such activities. We believe that this is a first milestone in strengthening co-operation amongst these important stakeholders in the process of enhancing the government awareness raising efforts in the benefit of Albanian citizens”, said Xhenis Ballço, the project’s national officer at the OSCE Presence in Albania.

The organization of the visit was supported by the General Police Directorate of Croatia’s Interior Ministry and the Red Cross in Zagreb.

Thirty representatives from state institutions and civil society organizations engaged in the first hackathon against trafficking in human beings in Albania – a learning-by-doing training where they worked together to detect online human trafficking and child sexual exploitation, on 6 and 7 February 2024. The event was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania in co-operation with the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings.

Guided by international experts, mentors in information technology and cyber security, the participants coming from police, social services, the National Authority on Electronic Certification and Cyber Security (AKCESK) and civil society organizations engaged in developing tools to detect online trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Technology can also be developed and deployed to help combat human trafficking in the online environment. That is why we have to see opportunities beyond challenges and this is exactly the scope of this innovative training”, said Clarisse Pasztory, Acting Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, who addressed the opening session alongside AKCESK director Igli Tafa.

The goal of the hackathon was to increase awareness of the ways in which technology is misused in Albania to exploit victims, especially children. It also aimed to identify platforms and websites that are particularly exposed to human trafficking risks and to provide insight into how traffickers exploit them.

In addition, the hackathon served to build a network of expertise to address technology-facilitated human trafficking, by employing a “learning-by-doing” methodology, prioritizing the learning process over theory, and testing participants knowledge and capacities in a live online environment to detect websites and social media platforms that recruit victims for sexual exploitation.

The Constitutional Court, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, presented the first Guide on Constitutional Court Case Law, on 21 February 2024.

Representatives from justice institutions, advocates, academics, legal community and international partners participated in the launching event, which was opened by the Constitutional Court Chair Holta Zaçaj and Acting Head of OSCE Presence Clarisse Pasztory. 

The Guide aims to enhance the quality of individual complaints, thus contributing to an increased citizens’ access to the Court and a better protection of their fundamental rights and freedoms. It will serve the judicial staff to improve their research capacities, and help the Court standardize decisions. The Guide will also help lawyers, legal professionals, law practitioners and scholars to efficiently search the Court’s case law.

The OSCE Presence supported the drafting of the Guide as part of its project “Strengthening rule of law and promoting protection of human rights in Albania through support to the Constitutional Court”, funded by the United States of America, Italy and Greece.

The Presence will continue to support the Constitutional Court in its efforts to enhance transparency, access and efficiency of its operations and strengthening institutional capacities to uphold the rule of law and protect human rights in line with international standards and OSCE commitments.

Acting Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania Clarisse Pasztory and Free Legal Aid Director Ergys Qirici signed a memorandum of understanding, on 22 February 2024, aimed at outlining areas of mutual interest and strengthening co-operation between the two institutions.

The mission of the Free Legal Aid Directorate is to guarantee equal access to justice to all people. The memorandum is an expression of the Presence’s full support for the very important work of this agency established in 2020.

As envisaged in the document, the Presence will help increase the Directorate’s capacities through targeted training on communication with vulnerable persons for civil society organizations licensed to offer free legal aid, and will support the Directorate develop resource materials for visually impaired people and foreign citizens. The Presence will also support the full establishment of a new university legal clinic at the University of Elbasan. Both initiatives aim at increasing the public access to justice.

During the signing event, the OSCE Presence provided the Directorate with a manual commissioned by the Presence containing methods and techniques to be applied by free legal aid providers when communicating and receiving vulnerable groups.

In 2022, the Presence developed a guideline on communication and reception of citizens from such groups, including minors, victims of domestic violence, minority populations (particularly Roma and Egyptian), and people with disabilities. The guide served as a resource material for a training for about 30 Free Legal Aid staff from across Albania that the Presence organized in November 2023.

The signing event took place in the framework of the Week for the Protection of Crime Victims organized by Albania’s Ministry of Justice from 15 to 22 February 2024.

On 28 and 29 February 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized the second regional expert meeting on advancing the regulatory framework of police canine units. This event, held for the second year in a row in Albania, brought together representatives of police canine units from Tirana, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Belgrade, Skopje, Pristina, and police canine experts from France and Austria. It provided theoretical sessions and practical exercises, discussions and presentations from canine experts.

“Considering the similar challenges our region is actively combatting and treating, these meetings serve as platform through which officials of Western Balkans jurisdictions, international experts and donor community, share knowledge and skills among canine units benefiting from the OSCE assistance projects,” stressed Sasho Trpchevski, Law Enforcement Development Officer in the OSCE Presence in Albania

Saimir Boshnjaku, Director of the Albanian Border and Migration Directorate highlighted the contribution of such meetings to the capacities of the Border and Migration Police, by exchanging the best practices with partners. The praised the co-operation between the State Police and the OSCE Presence on the project of small arms and light weapons.

This year the regional workshop focused on the newly-developed training manual that will serve as a professional growth tool for all dog handlers and instructors. The manual – prepared according to the international standards and tailored to the Albanian State Police needs – will serve as a bases for a training-of-trainers series that will contribute to the enhancement of canine capacities and capabilities to detect illicit firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

The development of the training manual is one of the many activities of the project “Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)”, implemented by the Presence with the financial support of the European Union, Germany and France. The regional meeting, also part of the project, was organized with the support of the OSCE Secretariat’s Forum for Security Co-operation Unit and in co-ordination with OSCE SALW projects implemented in the Western Balkans.

About 70 members of Youth Councils and local authorities from the municipalities of Elbasan, Shkodra and Roskovec actively engaged in a comprehensive training seminar on improving air quality in their communities.

The main objective of the workshops that took place from 5 to 12 March 2024 was to educate young participants about the main sources of air pollution and to encourage them to propose measures and initiatives to improve air quality. The training sessions featured presentations from the OSCE Presence in Albania, municipal focal points and the Environmental and Territorial Management Institute (ETMI). Prof. Besnik Bare, a distinguished member of the Academy of Sciences of Albania, held a special session emphasizing the critical link between climate change, air pollution and public health. 

The members of the Youth Councils acknowledged their key role as advocates for environmental protection within their territories and committed to share the knowledge gained during the workshops with other youth, especially those from vulnerable groups.

The activities were part of the extra-budgetary project of the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities “Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia”, which, in Albania, is co-ordinated by the OSCE Presence with ETMI as implementing partner.

From 11 to 13 March 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania trained over 40 police officers, prosecutors, environmental inspectors and experts on the identification, investigation and prosecution of environmental crimes.

The participants – from Vlora, Gjirokastra, Fier, Durrës, Tirana and Dibra regions – learned through case studies, simulation exercises and group work aimed at strengthening the multi-agency character of environmental issues.

By leveraging the expertise of two internationals and one national trainer, the participants were equipped with cutting-edge insights on how to effectively address environmental challenges and investigation using good practices in the region. They stressed the need for inter-institutional co-operation and mutual understanding of roles at local level in tackling environmental challenges. The environmental inspectors said that the unclear legal division between various institutions hinder their work during field inspections.

“The Presence has been promoting inter-institutional co-operation to tackle environmental contraventions and crimes through various efforts involving environmental inspectors, police and prosecution offices in the country. The ultimate aim is for the participants to cultivate a culture of collaboration, joint expertise, and proactive engagement on how to navigate the complexities of inspection, identification, prevention and prosecution of these crimes”, said Elton Qëndro, National Programme Officer and Project Manager at the OSCE Presence.

The training sessions built upon a baseline assessment on inspection, investigation, and punishment of environmental contraventions and crimes, and a training needs assessment on environmental governance, both initiated by the Presence.

These activities are part of the project “Enhancing environmental governance and security in Albania”, which is implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and funded by Norway, France and Italy.

Acting Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Clarisse Pasztory and Speaker of the Assembly of Albania Lindita Nikolla signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to renew and strengthen the partnership between the two institutions. The Memorandum creates a general framework and sets guidelines for the co-operation between the Presence and parliament with regard to the programme “Support to Parliament of the Republic of Albania”.

“The Assembly will continue to strengthen the successful partnership with the OSCE Presence to advance democratization reforms and Albania’s European integration”, Nikolla stressed at the signing event.

“We are proud to stand as a steadfast partner of the Albanian Assembly. We stand ready to work together in enhancing the quality of legislation, legislative services, political representation and oversight. The OSCE in Albania remains committed to supporting the Assembly in these efforts,” said Pasztory.

According to the Memorandum, the Presence will support the Assembly to improve its legislative, oversight and representative functions, as well as the parliamentary administration to fulfil their functions in an efficient, effective and inclusive way. The Presence and the Assembly will also co-operate to enhance parliament’s interaction with citizens, and to develop and introduce innovative tools for an integrated and transparent legislative system that improves access to consolidated laws and parliamentary records.

The Presence is a long-term partner of the Assembly of Albania, in line of its mandate to assist Albania’s efforts to consolidate effective democratic institutions and to promote the rule of law and human rights in conformity with the OSCE principles, standards and commitments.

In view of the 2025 parliamentary elections in Albania, the OSCE Presence and the Central Election Commission (CEC) organized a technical workshop on findings and recommendations regarding voter education, on 3 April 2024.

Opening the event, Acting Head of OSCE Presence in Albania Clarisse Pasztory said: “There are a number of issues that are raised by the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations – both by the most recent ones on local elections, but also previous ones – that do not necessarily require legislative change or the amendment of the electoral or any other law, but much rather implementation of the law and/or in some cases sanctioning of the non-implementation of the law.”

Considering the 2023 voter information and education campaign among the best, State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi said that what has been achieved so far constitutes a very good basis to develop education and information programmes especially for certain categories of voters. He added that other institutions should increase the focus on some categories that, for legal reasons, do not have access to the voting process.

The activity served as a discussion forum for representatives and experts of the CEC, other state institutions, civil society and political parties on how to improve the informative, educational and awareness-raising voter campaigns.

Discussions focused on the findings of OSCE/ODIHR election observation reports and their recommendations to improve voter education programmes, as well as the findings of domestic observer groups and the experience from the observations of civil society organizations.

Participants stressed the importance of a broader strategy for voter outreach tailored to the diverse needs of various voter categories, in time for the upcoming elections. A particular emphasis was given to engaging underrepresented groups, such as national minorities, people with disabilities – including visually impaired voters – women, youth, as well as voters residing in rural or remote areas.

Nine journalists from the main media outlets in Albania and two media relations officials from the Ministry of Interior and State Police participated in an exchange visit to Stockholm, Sweden, organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania as part of its small arms and light weapons (SALW) project, from 8 to 11 April 2024. The activity – the second of this kind – aimed at enhancing the media engagement in addressing security issues.

The Albanian delegation visited the newsroom of the Sveriges Television (SVT) and discussed with SVT journalists reporting on security affairs. They also met with relevant Swedish government and non-government officials, including media organizations, and were introduced with innovative awareness raising campaigns in which media acted as a strategic partner on raising awareness and public education.

The recently-developed Awareness Raising and Communication Strategy on the Misuse of SALW identified and highlighted media as a strategic partner to inform and educate the public on the risk and misuse of the firearms, by directly contributing to the SALW Control Roadmap[1] goals.

As part of media development efforts, the SALW project is conducting monitoring on current state of media reporting and assessing the capacity building needs for the Albanian journalist reporting on security and gender-based violence affairs. Based on the findings, the project will further develop a media handbook, followed by training sessions for journalists.

The exchange visit is part of a series of capacity building efforts to enhance the role of media in public awareness raising campaigns and in assessing journalists’ capacity building needs regarding quality reporting. The first media exchange visit was organized in Belgrade in December 2022.

The visit to Stockholm was organized with the support of the Embassy of Sweden in Tirana, Swedish Union of Journalists, SVT, Swedish Police, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and Non-Violence Project Sweden.

The project “Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of SALW” is implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania, with the financial support of the European Union, Germany and France.

[1]https://www.seesac.org/f/docs/publications-salw-control-roadmap/Regional-Roadmap-for-a-sustainable-solution-to-the.pdf