|
ALBANIAN CHILDREN'S
ALLIANCE,
DIAKONIA AGAPES,
ALBANIAN HELSINKI
COMMITTEE
CHILDREN'S HUMAN RIGHTS
CENTER ALBANIA – CRCA
SOS – CHILDREN'S VILLAGE
AMARO- DROM UNION
Tirana, 17. 11. 2006
PRESS STATEMENT
THE GOVERNMENT
OF ALBANIA SHOULD TAKE MEASURES TO END CHILD ABUSE IN
ALBANIA
To:Mr. Sali Berisha
Prime Minister
Government of the
Republic of Albania
Info: Ms. Jozefina
Topalli Speaker, Parliament of Albania,
Mr. Genc Pollo
Minister of Education and Science ,
Mr. Koço
Barka Minister of Labor, Social
Affairs, and Equal Opportunities,
Mr. Aldo
Bumçi Minister of Justice,
Mr. Maksim Cikuli
Minister of Health
Notified: Mass media in Albania
NPOs in
Albania
The Children's Human Rights Center in
Albania – CRCA, the Albanian Children's Alliance in
Albania, SOS – Children's Village, Diakonia Agapes,
Albanian Roma Union "Amaro-Drom", and the Albanian
Helsinki Committee, on the occasion of the World Day for
Prevention of Child Abuse, wish to express their concern
about the grave situation and violence that hundreds of
thousands of children are subjected to at their
families, in schools, and in the society in Albania.
On this day, events are organized
throughout the world with the common message "A World
Without Violence for Children." In Albania, the
Children's Human Rights Center in Albania – CRCA, the
Albanian Children's Alliance in Albania, SOS –
Children's Village, Diakonia Agapes, Albanian Roma Union
"Amaro-Drom", and the Albanian Helsinki Committee
organize awareness-raising events throughout Albania to
say stop to violence against children.
Violence against children remains a major
problem in Albania and represents one of the gravest
violations of children's rights in the country.
According to the latest UNICEF study "Violence Against
Children in Albania," it results that one out of four
children is a victim of the harshest forms of domestic
violence, and one out of three children is a victim of
violence at school.
Article 39 of the CRC says "States
Parties shall take all appropriate measures to promote
physical and psychological recovery and social
reintegration of a child victim of: any form of neglect,
exploitation, or abuse; torture or any other form of
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”,
whereas the Constitution of Albania says in Article 54,
among other things, "…Every child is entitled to
protection from violence, maltreatment, exploitation,
and use for labor…”
Although Albania has made steps forward with regard to
respect for children's rights, violence against children
is one of those issues that is not reflected in
Government policies or Albanian legislation. It is
unacceptable that in 2006 the use of violence toward
children is not prohibited by law.
Consequences of violence toward children
are direct consequences for the Albanian society. These
consequences may be seen clearly in the continued
violence that accompanies the sessions of the Parliament
of Albania or the high figure of crimes against the life
of a person. We believe it is time that the Government
of Albania, like all democratic countries in the world,
says Stop Violence toward Children" by drafting a law
prohibiting the use of violence against children and by
establishing the appropriate infrastructure for
rehabilitating children victims of violence.
Keeping in mind the concerns raised in
this Press Statement, the the Children's Human Rights
Center in Albania – CRCA, the Albanian Children's
Alliance in Albania, SOS – Children's Village, Diakonia
Agapes, Albanian Roma Union "Amaro-Drom", and the
Albanian Helsinki Committee are of the opinion that the
Government of Albania should take the following
measures, among other things:
1. Make issues of children and
particularly of violence toward children at home, at
school, and in the society, part of the priorities of
the Government of Albania.
2. The Government of Albania should
draft a law that prohibits once and for good the
exercise and use of violence toward children.
3. The Ministry of Labor, Social
Affairs, and Equal Opportunities, the Ministry of
Health, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the
Ministry of Interior should take measures to improve the
standards and level of services for children victims of
violence.
The the Children's Human Rights Center in Albania –
CRCA, the Albanian Children's Alliance in Albania, SOS –
Children's Village, Diakonia Agapes, Albanian Roma Union
"Amaro-Drom", and the Albanian Helsinki Committee
believe that the enforcement of these measures and
raising the awareness and sensitivity of government and
non-government institutions for building a system of
prevention, protection, treatment, and reintegration for
children victims of violence would lead to considerable
improvement in the situation of children's rights in
Albania.
|
