On September 25, 2025, in the framework of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) Pledging Conference was held as a side event, organized by the German Federal Foreign Office.

This high-level event brought together government representatives, international partners, and civil society organizations to reaffirm their joint support for preventing violent extremism.

Albania was represented at this conference by Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, Ms. Elisa Spiropali, and the Ministry of Interior through the National Coordinator for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE), Ms. Lejdi Dervishi. Minister Spiropali emphasized that preventing radicalization and violent extremism is a national priority and an integral part of Albania’s National Security Strategy. She highlighted Albania’s concrete achievements in this area, including the restoration of institutional trust among individuals repatriated from conflict zones, strengthening referral mechanisms, and consolidating the CVE Coordination Center (#QKEDH). She also reaffirmed Albania’s renewed financial commitment to GCERF as a concrete expression of its dedication to advancing prevention efforts nationally and globally.

Ms. Dervishi, the National CVE Coordinator, spoke on the panel and shared Albania’s on-the-ground experience, including best practices in inter-institutional cooperation, community engagement, and empowering local actors to build resilience against radicalization. Her presence on the panel further emphasized Albania’s role as a regional model in the prevention of violent extremism and the reintegration of returnees from conflict zones.

GCERF’s support for Albania since 2020 has been crucial in advancing these efforts—contributing to the rehabilitation of women and children returning from conflict zones, strengthening institutional mechanisms, and building community trust. The participation of both the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior in this conference reaffirmed Albania’s unwavering commitment to work closely with international partners in support of peace, dialogue, and collective security.