Child Rights Governance
Though a number of legislative reforms and other measures related to human rights in general and to the rights of the child in particular have been issued by the Government, still, legislation is not fully in line with international human rights standards.
Budgetary allocations to ensure the implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights of children, in particular those belonging to economically disadvantaged groups are still not a priority and much remains to be achieved on implementation. In addition, the lack of reliable data and statistics remain a critical issue and hamper proper assessment and planning for the improvement of children’s rights.
To address the issues of concern to many children and child rights advocates, Save the Children in Albania is working to strengthen child’s rights institutions as well as civil society actors and children groups to raise the most critical issues that negatively affect many children’s lives and advocate for legal reform and practical steps that will improve children’s situation across the country.
Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Rights of the Child (IMCCR)
IMCCR is the institutional coordination unit and highest national authority responsible for the monitoring and implementation of the National Strategy for Children.
To ensure proper laws and strategies are in place, with clear budget and resource allocations from government for their implementation, Save the Children in Albania has continued to support IMCCR through work with the Technical Secretariat for Children (TSCH), the executive body.
This unit is being supported by Save the Children in Albania in cooperation with UNICEF in their work to improve monitoring tools and indicators for assessing the child right’s situation in the country.
Child Led Groups
The CRC explicitly gives children a right to speak out, be listened to and their views taken into consideration. Save the Children in Albania (SCiA) considers child participation as vital for the positive development of children as individuals, and in the longer term for society as a whole. Children need to be involved actively rather than just being told what to do.
Child participation is one key principle of SCiA’s programmes and SCiA actively works to ensure that all children are given an opportunity to participate and voice their opinion.
In order to achieve this, SCiA supports three Child-Led Groups (CLGs) in Peshkopia, Durres and Elbasan. Children and young people in these groups manage and run their own informal organizations and plan, organize, implement and evaluate their own activities.
Children have also extended their efforts to promote their rights at the national level. Every year about 90 CLGs members, after consultations with their peers through questionnaires, draft and present children’s report at the conference on the implementation of the National Strategy for Children. This Conference, which is organized every year by the Technical Secretariat for Children, involves the highest level authorities, UN, diplomatic corps, donors and other actors that work in the field of children’s rights and has wide coverage in the media. Children consider it a great opportunity to inform the government about their opinions and concerns and to influence decisions that children can benefit from.
All Together Against Child Trafficking Coalition
To contribute to a stronger advocacy for the protection of child rights in the country, Save the Children in Albania plays an active role as member of the BKTF Coalition (All Together against Child Trafficking) and supports it’s operational and advocacy work.
The BKTF Coalition consists of nineteen national and international non-governmental organizations, working in Albania, assisting and protecting the vulnerable Albanian children.
www.bktf-coalition.org