Albania launches Culture and Heritage for Social and Economic Development Programme

TIRANA, Feb 18 – The United Nations, Albania and Spain launched Wednesday the joint programme under “Delivering as One UN” initiative on Culture and Heritage for Social and Economic Development which aims at boosting the country’s social and economic development through its rich culture and heritage.
The project is funded by Spain through the UN Spanish Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund and it is being implemented within a two-year period jointly by UNESCO and UNDP, in close partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Education, the Institute of Cultural Monuments, the National Tourism Agency, local and regional governments, universities and civil society organizations will also be involved.
The Culture and Heritage for Social and Economic Development Programme (CHSED) supports Albania’s efforts in harnessing the potential of the country’s cultural heritage in order to strengthen the country’s national identity, create economic opportunities for poor and rural communities, enhance investment, and position the country positively in Europe and the rest of the world.
With a budget of $3,2 million, the programme will assist cultural institutions in Albania to strengthen their capacities in the fields of culture and heritage management, and to identify new mechanisms for the sustainable financing of cultural sites and institutions.
The CHSED Programme will re-conceptualize the National History Museum in Tirana by transforming it into a modern cultural institution, more attractive to both foreigners and Albanians alike. The programme aims to improve the management and governance structures of Albania’s archeological parks, namely Apollonia and Antigonea, while taking into consideration their unique surrounding environment and the engagement of neighboring communities.
Within the Alliance of Civilizations, a UN initiative, through a range of projects involving youth, education and the media, the CHSED Programme will assist Albania in its efforts to support concrete steps in further rooting the principles of intercultural dialogue and religious tolerance. These efforts will be complemented by the production of resource materials on Albanian culture and the strengthening of Albania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs capacities to promote Albania’s culture abroad.
Albania has been selected, along with seven other countries – the only one in Europe – to test a worldwide programme of UN reform. The “Delivering as One UN” Initiative brings UN Agencies together – with one programme, one budget and one leader.