A motion adopted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put Albania at the center of international criticism over a controversial law that allows construction in Protected Areas. The IUCN is calling for revisions to prevent encroachment on highly biodiverse territories.
IUCN Motion No. 130, proposed by the Albanian organization "Center for the Conservation and Protection of the Natural Environment in Albania" (PPNEA) and supported by 14 partner organizations, was approved with 98% of the votes.
PPNEA leader Aleksandër Trajçe told Citizens.al that the initiative was prompted by concerns about legal changes in Albania. According to him, the Albanian government has presented the changes to the Protected Areas Law as being in line with IUCN standards, but that the recently adopted motion clearly contradicts this interpretation.
"Minister Kumbaro, at the time, strongly promoted that the law was amended in accordance with IUCN standards," Trajçe said, emphasizing that the government's application to become a member of the IUCN was used for this narrative.
"It was a farce, that the membership process is not related to the process of amending the law. That is, almost anyone can become a member if they demonstrate those basic principles and fulfill those basic points," Trajce argued.
Although the motion has no binding force on the Albanian government, Trajçe says it has high political and reputational value.
According to PPNEA, the vote exposes the problems and places Albania under international scrutiny, sending a clear message to the international community: Albanian law contradicts commitments to nature conservation.
"If the finger is pointed at the head, this pressure can bring about concrete changes in the medium or long term," Trajce added.
The IUCN motion thus challenges the Albanian government's rhetoric about compliance with international standards and highlights the clash between uncontrolled development and nature conservation.
The most concrete example of this clash is the Vjosa-Narte Protected Landscape, home to hundreds of bird species, including the Dalmatian pelican and flamingo. But instead of being strengthened, the legal protections for this area were dismantled to make way for the Vlora Airport and a massive tourist complex – a precedent that defies every principle of biodiversity conservation.
A lack of reflection on the part of the government in the face of the IUCN motion could damage the reputation of the Albanian state in the international arena regarding environmental issues.
In July 2025, the Constitutional Court refused to repeal Law No. 21/2024, which amended the legal framework for Protected Areas. This ruling rejected the request of one-fifth of the deputies and several environmental organizations, including AOS and EcoAlbania, who considered the law unconstitutional.
Activists have called the decision a serious blow to nature and biodiversity, as well as a political signal of the state's surrender to the interests of builders.
Also Read:
- The Constitutional Court legitimizes the amendments to the law on "Protected Areas"
- "Protected Areas, an Albanian tragedy"
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
