Jaupaj said the agreement would bring IUCN expertise directly into Albania’s EU integration efforts under Chapter 27, Environment and Climate Change, helping the Environment Ministry meet the chapter’s closing benchmarks.

The agreement also provides for closer alignment with the EU acquis and the development of concrete projects to protect nature and biodiversity and restore ecosystems, he said.

Jaupaj described the deal as a new partnership for Albania’s natural heritage.

“Since Albania joined IUCN as a state member in 2024, cooperation with the international organisation has intensified, benefiting from its world-class technical expertise,” he said.

The agreement represents another step towards European environmental standards and the protection of Albania’s natural resources for future generations, Jaupaj said.

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The first workshop was held at “inNature,” the National Agency of Protected Areas’ space near the Pyramid in Tirana, in cooperation with IUCN.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the initiative will begin with the Vjosa River National Park—Albania’s flagship natural asset—and will later expand to four other national parks.

The IUCN Green List Standard is a global benchmark for protected and conserved areas, aiming to assess and recognize areas achieving successful conservation outcomes through effective and equitable management. It provides a framework with globally consistent components, criteria, and indicators to measure site performance and guide efforts towards fair and effective nature conservation.

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The Ministry of Tourism and Environment has been designated by the state as the official liaison with the IUCN Secretariat.

“As Albania joins the IUCN, along with the rich biodiversity we also bring a firm commitment to environmental protection and this membership offers us a valuable platform to collaborate and learn from global best practices, strengthening efforts and our conservation policies”, emphasized Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro.

“Albania has created a model for the protected areas by declaring the Vjosa National Park of one of the last wild rivers in Europe. Also, Albania has created new parks such as the “National Park of the Alps” in the north of the country. These protected areas are key assets for our ecotourism, perfectly embodying the slogan “Albania All Senses”. With over 21.4% of the territory under protection and other initiatives, our partnership with IUCN will strengthen our capabilities, merge traditional knowledge with modern science and contribute significantly to local and global environmental goals. We are optimistic about the mutual benefits that this cooperation will foster by strengthening our biodiversity conservation practices and advancing sustainable development”, concluded Kumbaro.

Over the past two decades, IUCN has worked closely with the government and civil society in Albania, helping to strengthen the institutional framework for nature conservation, improve the national system of protected areas and increase the level of community engagement.

At the regional level, Albania is engaged as an active member of the Biodiversity Task Force for the Western Balkans (BDTF BB). This regional body advises the Regional Green Agenda Working Group (GAWB) for the Western Balkans on implementation of the Nature and Biodiversity Protection Pillar of the GAWB Action Plan.

As Albania joins IUCN as its newest member state, both sides are committed to further joint efforts in biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, community engagement, climate change adaptation and environmental governance. /k.s/p.s./

The government head took to the social media to extend his New Year wishes to the staff of National Agency of Protected Area, describing them as “guardians of our nature’s gems.”

Albanian government has declared 2024 as national year of forests, an initiative designed to promote sustainable development and conservation of this nature’s treasure trove.

The initiative aims at raising awareness, strengthen forests management and it includes forestation campaigns, as well as investment projects on forests conservation and management and forest fire prevention measures.

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Present at the meeting of the Committee, Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro said that, “This bill is a very clear expression of the interest of the Albanian government in the protected areas, the preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems in the Republic of Albania”.

“This union (IUCN) through its mechanisms strengthens the institutional capacity of its members to preserve biological diversity and to protect the ecological processes of life support at global, regional, national and local levels”, said Kumbaro.

While the relator of the case Ismet Beqiraj emphasized that this legal initiative is done within the framework of the full completion of the Legal Code that deals with the protection of the environment, and especially since it is a very important chapter for Albania’s membership in the European Union.

After discussions, this draft law was approved in principle, article by article and in its entirety./p.s./