TIRANA, July 1 – Albania’s National Youth Network asked authorities in the capital for an all-inclusive process in drafting a bill for the country’s youth.
For the moment, Albania is the only country in the region that doesn’t have a youth law.
Students, representatives from approximately 50 youth organizations and ministry of education representatives agreed during a consultative meeting to cooperate closely to draft the bill.
The meeting was an initiative of the Youth Network and allowed organization representatives to raise the main concerns troubling the youth, such as unemployment, education, healthcare and support of the civil society.
The youth also discussed policies, services and mechanisms that could assist in making the youth bill successful.
Head of the Youth Network Ervjola Osmanaj said that “the network’s purpose is for the process of the youth bill drafting to be led by youth, to be drafted by them, for them.”
For the first time, the network also presented a full package with the youth’s requests, which it expects to serve as a basis for the bill.
The requests package was prepared after a series of meetings between the network and MPs, representatives of the Ministry for Education, civil society and different youth forums, among which drafting this bill is seen as an urgent need in improving youth policies and creating an institutional framework to support them.
The Ministry of Education set up its working group for drafting the bill, along with the promise that the youth will be part of the process, which is expected to close within July, as well as when the project is submitted to legislative institutions.
