Albania: Civil society draws up framework to protect children’s rights

NGOs working in Albania to secure children’s rights in the country are close to reaching their goal of agreeing, together with the government, upon a Code of conduct for the prevention of child abuse in Albania.

UNICEF and the the Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania / Defence for Children International (CRCA / DCI Albania) in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities have, over the course of the past months organised and attended several workshops in which the importance of working together to protect children’s rights has been discussed. The first, held in Tirana in June, sought to lay the foundations for the establishment of a national child helpline in Albania, a goal that the organisers see as fundamental for the protection of child rights.

The workshop was welcomed by Mr. Kastriot Sulka, vice-Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Mrs. Carrie Auer, UNICEF Country Representative in Albania and Mr. Altin Hazizaj, Director of CRCA / DCI Albania. The speakers focused on the importance that represents for Albania the establishment of the national child helpline. The establishment of the Helpline fulfils a gap towards the respect of children’s rights, while it serves as an opportunity for every child to exercise the freedom of expression provided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
 
Participants of the workshop “Towards the Establishment of a National Child Helpline in Albania” were representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Telecommunications, child-rights NGO’s, National Regulatory Commission for Telecommunications, telephone companies, Municipality of Tirana etc.
 
During the workshop there were presented and debated many papers on the challenges that children face in Albania such as child abuse and neglect, while at a later stage organisers presented the strategy that will be followed towards the establishment of the national child helpline. Representatives of NGO’s in the country also presented to the attendees of the workshop new initiatives related to children such as the establishment of Child Protection Units at several municipalities of Albania while where taken into consideration different models of child help lines.

The second workshop, held in Tiran on July 11, this time organised by The CRCA/DCI Albania in cooperation with the Information and Research Center for Children’s Rights in Albania (IRCCRA) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania, was called: “The Code of Conduct for the Prevention of Child Abuse in Albania”. The workshop was organised under the framework of the CRCA Programme “Tirana Child Helpline” funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania.

The workshop was welcomed by Mrs. Noeke Ruiter, Secretary of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania and Mr. Altin Hazizaj, Director of CRCA / DCI Albania. Both speakers stated that the Code of Ethics for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect in Albania will increase the respect of children’s rights, while aiming to prohibit violence against children in the country.

The aim of the workshop was to present to public institutions and civil society organisations alike the Code of Conduct for the Prevention of Child Abuse in Albania, while inviting all social partners that work for / with children to adhere to the Code. The Code has been prepared by a group of CRCA and indecent experts, and provides main principals and policies for protection of children from abuse and neglect that every public institution and NGO can implement after the adoption of the Code. Part of the presentations, discussions and debates were standards of prevention of child abuse and latest initiatives of civil society organisations and agencies towards achieving a common goal which is the elimination of child abuse and neglect in Albania.
 
Participants of the workshop were representatives of Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice and national and international NGO’s working for children. Both printed and broadcasted media Media gave a special coverage to the workshop.