The Council of Europe gathered for the Second Steering Committee Meeting of the project Enhancing Public Sector Resilience Against Corruption to review the progress achieved during the past six months of implementation and discuss priorities for the next period. The meeting was co-chaired with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Discussions focused on the project's support in key areas, including lobbying regulation, whistleblower protection, integrity at the local level, and asset recovery and management, while also outlining the next steps for the second half of the year.

In their opening remarks, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, Ms Giulia Re, and the Head of Governance and Health at the Swiss Embassy, Ms Sabine Piccard, underlined the importance of not only establishing comprehensive legislative frameworks, but also ensuring that institutions possess the awareness, capacities and practical tools required for their effective implementation.

Representatives of the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anticorruption, the High Inspectorate for the Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflict of Interest (HIDAACI), the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Data, the Ministry for Internal Affairs, the Agency for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK), the Asset Recovery Office (ARO), and other beneficiary institutions welcomed the progress achieved to date and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Albania's anti-corruption reforms.

The project “Enhancing Public Sector Resilience Against Corruption” is co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.