OSCE Presence in Albania

Civil society development

The Civil Society and Media Unit of the OSCE Presence in Albania assists civil society organizations in promoting democratic governance through the mobilization and inclusion of citizens in decision-making. For example, the Unit co-ordinates the efforts of state authorities and civil society in implementing the National Strategy on People with Disabilities.

At the local level, in six Albanian regions (Durres, Elbasan, Korca, Vlora, Shkodra and Kukes), the Unit supports Civil Society Development Centres (CSDCs) in playing a leading role in fostering viable partnerships between responsible government structures and civil society. In 2006, it helped the CSDCs establish a national roof structure, in the form of a network of CSDCs.

The network of CSDCs is instrumental in promoting civil society inputs in local decision making processes through discussing and disseminating relevant information to their communities so as to foster the social and democratic development in their regions. The network of CSDCs continues to strengthen the capacity of local groups to promote the improvement of public services, environmental protection and the rights of others, including women, youth, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. In 2006, more than 11,000 citizens from NGOs and communities used CSDC services.

Gender

The Unit supports government and civil society efforts to promote gender equality by helping promote gender responsive legislation that guarantees respect for women's rights and Albania's compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It also assists organizations working to increase women's participation in politics and prevent domestic violence. Internally, the Unit offers support to senior management to ensure that gender mainstreaming is taken into account across all the Presence's activities.