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AGENDA Institute is a Non-profit organization that aims at bringing to the market findings, research and analyses to enable a better understanding of public policies. It will produce and publish analyses, to help create a good spirit for public debate on problems related to the Good Governance, European Integration and European Neighborhood Policy, and Economic and Social Development policies in the country. AGENDA will be careful in orienting its activities between academic research and engagement in public debates, to assist the improvement of policy-making in all levels. It will play a crucial role in the development of democratic processes, offering recommendations based on analysis and research over a series of issues related to public policies. Being a think tank, it will be led by rational persuasion and transparency in the communication of findings and recommendations. AGENDA will establish collaboration with similar organizations in the region and Europe. Many phenomena related to politics, law, EU integration, economy and society, cannot be fully analyzed without placing them in the regional, European and sometimes transatlantic context, and without aiming at joint undertakings of analyses and research.
In response to growing concerns about understanding the impact of globalization and free trade implications on Albanian consumers, business, and government, the Institute for Contemporary Studies (ISB) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) established the Albanian Center for International Trade (ACIT).
The primary purpose of ACIT is to improve the quality of trade policies as important instruments for growth and development, as well as to increase the public benefit from trade opportunities by providing thoughtful, objective analyses of existing regulatory programs and new regulatory proposals.
ACIT builds on ISB’s impressive body of work over the last decade, and under the guidance of USAID seeks to accomplish its goal through:
a) Increasing stakeholder access to trade data and information;
b) Increasing the trade;
c) Strengthening the institutional capacities of government, private sector, civil society and media in trade related areas;
d) Promoting and expanding public debate of trade issues and increasing the participation of all stakeholders in the trade policy making process.
The AHC’s main mission is to promote the observation of respect for the freedoms and rights of citizens, to react to violations in order ton bring about their reinstatement, to sensitise citizens concerning the protection of their freedoms and rights, to improve legislation and the practice of law enforcement through recommendations during the drafting of laws and their application.
Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) is a non-governmental, not for profit, independent institution on international public policy issues. Its research is non-partisan and non-proprietary.
The Institute is established based on the respective law of the Republic of Albania and exercises its activity in the territory of the Republic of Albania in accordance with the present Albanian legislation and international experience.
AIIS is dedicated to analyses of contemporary security issues and their political impact. Given the changing nature of security threats AIIS focus has turned towards Albanian domestic issues, and especially EU and NATO integration processes.
The institute also aims to address Balkan issues on development and prognoses of political, economic, security, ethnic, cultural and religion questions, identification of conflicts, their sources and origins and especially conflict prevention and conflict avoidance.
AIIS tends to engage Albanian scholars and attract the qualified international thought and expertise on the issues Albanian society is faced with, in order to help it meet the complex challenges it will face through the path of civil society and market economy.
The Albanian Media Institute was established at the end of 1995, thanks to a grant provided by DANIDA and with the assistance of the Danish School of Journalism. After over a decade, AMI has been consolidated, becoming one of the main actors in Albanian civil society and one of the most important training institutions for journalism in the Balkan region. AMI is presently a member of several international organizations, such as the European Journalism Training Association, (where it was chair of the board from 2001- 2003), the World Association of Newspapers, and the Reporting Diversity Network. In recent years, AMI has engaged in activities that foster a better understanding of children’s’ issues, for example, AMI has partnered with UNICEF in training Albanian journalists on the coverage of children rights, as well as training school students within the children’s program "Troc".
Co-PLAN is a reputable and professional NGO with national and international experience and is active in Albania and Kosovo. Since its foundation, Co-PLAN has shown a solid growth and professional development. Through workshops, trainings, conferences, publications, etc. Co-PLAN has been playing a significant role as an intermediary body in bridging ways of institutional co-operation between Albanian institutions. Co-PLAN has been active in national and international networks with a special focus on dissemination of good urban governance practices. Co-PLAN works closely with institutions of local and central governments and has much experience in influencing policy developments at local and national levels. Co-PLAN has also organised many national and international conferences and seminars and has published a set of research papers and publications. Co-PLAN has made a major policy contribution in the field of urban development.
The Institute for Democracy and Mediation was founded by a group of Albanian scholars with the desire and commitment to address the problems facing Albanian’s democracy, through mediation between institutions, community and groups. IDM puts its efforts to foster confidence between political and civic actors for building democratic and prosperous society inclined towards Euro-Atlantic integrations. IDM’s key program areas include security sector governance, local government and community participation. Promoting governance accountability and transparency, organizational and capacity building of public institutions and legal initiatives for improved legal framework.
IPLS will have two main functions: a) Legal: to provide non-partisan legal assistance and where appropriate training to government, non-government, and international organizations working in Albania, and; b) Policy: to identify and consequently address by means of in depth analyses and comprehensive recommendations the basic problems that affect governance and civil society in Albania. Too often, the government, with the assistance of international advisors, has rubber stamped laws without an evaluation and feedback system in the area of public policy and public affairs. In short, there was and continues to remain a gap between legislators and policy makers and the public. IPLS seeks, at minimum, to bridge this gap by joining the legal component, e.g., drafting and reviewing of laws and training of government officials and interest groups, with the public policy and public affairs aspect. And at the same time IPLS seeks to inform the general public through the publication of reviews and positions papers by legal and policy specialists, sponsoring seminars and public debates on the issues most relevant to the Albanian society.
The main objective of the National Albanian Centre for Social Studies is to contribute to the drafting and development of social policies. This centre creates and spreads information, knowledge and experience through research and studies on important social phenomena, helps develop institutions and human resources through teaching, training programs and experiments as well as offering social services close to the individual needs.
