Thank you, Madame Deputy Secretary General, for the interaction with us today,

At the outset, I would like to thank you and through you the Secretary General for including in the report the case of the good partnership between the Albanian Government and the UN RC Office in Tirana on social protection. The resident coordinator in cooperation with other agencies operating in the country are supporting reforms to Albania’s social protection system.  As a result of the partnership between the Government and the RC Office work, a new Social Inclusion Protection Policy has been developed to address gaps in social services funding, and supporting advancements in disability, childcare system and social housing reform.

As one of the first countries that has adopted the “Delivering as One” approach, Albania commends the UN system and the UN agencies for responding to the multiple global challenges of the recent years from post Covid crises to exacerbation of conflicts, and to the climate change too. In the Albanian context, the work of the UN and other partners has been crucial in the recovery after the earthquake of October 2019; post Covid recovery, EU accession reforms but also in responding to the impact of the economic challenges because of the conflicts worldwide.

As we speak, Albania is almost halfway through the implementation of the first UNSDCF  2022-2026. which until the end of 2023 collectively delivered USD 60 million for 19 UN agencies that work in the country.

As a “delivering as One” country, the UN in Albania has continued to strengthen coherence through joint programming, in which it has a successful implementation record, demonstrating a high impact of coordinated inter-agency work. The example on social protection brought in the report is a clear one. By the end of 2023, nine UN Joint Programmes (UNJPs) were under implementation, five of which were funded through the Albania SDG Acceleration Fund, two by the Joint SDG Fund, one by a bilateral agreement between the development partner and the implementing UN agencies, and one through the UN Peace Building Fund.

For the year 2024, the Albania Government has committed to preparing the National SDG Roadmap 2024–2030 to prioritize actions and measures to achieve the SDGs in accordance with the country’s development priorities and progress in the EU Accession process. This exercise obviously requires the engagement of all the partners, including the expertise of the UN Country Team and of the RC Office.

As the SG report reaffirms, at the core of the UN Development System is a reinvigorated resident coordinator system, fully consolidated at the heart of the UN Secretariat and with links solidified across the UN system. We take note of the SG proposal for conversion of funding the Resident Coordinator system from the regular budget. It is our understanding that the discussion on this SG funding proposal of the reinvigorated RC system will resume, and we look forward to engaging constructively in the discussion. A predictable funding for the resident coordinator system is important for the way forward.

An important element remains the overlaps in the system. The ongoing review of the RC system should trigger adjustments as needed.

In concluding Madame Deputy Secretary General, rest assured of Albania’s support in your work and to the Organization as a whole and to the multilateralism.

Thank you