Promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law in Albania

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contracted Casals & Associates to manage a three-year, $6 million program to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Albania.

From 2004 until 2007, Casals & Associates provided technical assistance and training to a variety of public and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Albania to increase their capacity to promote and enforce transparency and accountability. The team’s activities included the following:

• Supporting the development and implementation of an enforceable asset declaration and conflict of interest regime for government officials in accordance with international standards
• Enhancing the capability of justice sector institutions to manage operations and conduct judicial inspections
• Creating a modern bar association
• Improving civil society capacity to monitor government reforms and engage in public interest litigation
• Helping pass laws and adopt regulations and policies related to conflict of interest, administrative procedure/freedom of information, intellectual property/copyrights, and freedom of the press