Albania’s parliament during Thursday’s plenary session | Photo by : LSA/Franc Zhurda

“The main goal of this law is to encourage the participation of the public and interest groups in decision making and governance, and raise the efficiency, transparency and accountability of public institutions toward the public,” OSFA said in a statement after parliament approved the law on Thursday.

“This law opens the way for dialogue and improves policies and legal actions,” it added.

The law was adopted after a three-year campaign by civil society organizations under the framework of Albania’s membership of an international initiative called the Open Government Partnership.

As part of the Open Government Partnership, the government obliged itself in 2012 to promote transparency, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.

The commitments address three of the initiative’s principles: increasing public integrity, improving public services and more effectively managing public resources.

The new law institutionalises public consultations in the process of drafting and approving legislation, national and local strategies as well as policies which are of public interest.