OSCE Presence in Albania

The OSCE Presence in Albania supports the process of electoral reform in Albania in a number of ways, including the implementation of recommendations by political parties, the Assembly of Albania and relevant national authorities.

The Presence provides assistance sought by state institutions to bring electoral legislation fully in line with OSCE commitments and Council of Europe election standards. The Presence facilitated technical expertise from the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to the Assembly of Albania as part of the latest package of electoral reforms that concluded with the adoption of amendments to the Electoral Code in July 2012.

The Presence is also involved in supporting capacity building of national institutions - primarily the Assembly and the Central Election Commission (CEC), as well as civil society actors. It has provided technical support to the CEC during the elections preparation phase, organized several overseas study trips for CEC members, and also helped establish a forum of election commissioners as a step to improve election administration.

In addition the Presence attends all CEC meetings and Electoral College hearings, closely follows all developments related to elections, and keeps regular contact with national and international stakeholders.