Albania in EU, UNICEF project to protect children

TIRANA, July 3 – The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched a joint project last week aimed at protecting children in Southeast Europe, including Albania.
The $2.39 million joint initiative will strengthen public services aimed at identifying, monitoring and addressing violence against children in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Turkey.
“This is an important project that recognizes the need to provide better protection for our children from violence at home, in school and in the community, violence that all too often goes unnoticed,” said Stefan Fuele, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy.
The two-year project includes regional activities which will foster knowledge and experience-sharing among key intergovernmental organizations, networks of independent monitoring networks and civil society platforms.
“Public services must have a clear role in supporting and protecting children from violence,” said Steven Allen, UNICEF’s Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe. “UNICEF continues to develop a compact between civil society, policy makers and communities to support families and provide a nurturing and protective environment for children.”
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Turkey will analyze the flaws in its public service systems as part of the 2011-2013 scheme, and thus be better equipped to identify cases of violence against children and improve prosecution of the cases.
National civil society networks and independent monitoring bodies will be trained to raise awareness; improve the collection, monitoring and analyzing data while contributing to policy dialogue about violence against children.
Violence against children is a concern in the Western Balkans and Turkey.