30 years of child rights: Historic gains and undeniable achievements, but little progress for the poorest children

Korca 20 November, 2019 - On the Universal Children’s Rights Day, the international development partners urge Albanian institutions to reflect on the achievements and challenges to ensure that every child enjoy the right to childhood in Albania. Albania has a good legislative framework, but more support needs to go to local governments, especially in remote areas, in order to provide adequate integrated social-care services for vulnerable children and families. The event is supported by Delegation of the European Union to Albania, UNICEF, Save the Children, Terre des hommes, World Vision, Partnerë për Fëmijë, SOS Children’s Villages Albania and Initiative ARSIS.

This year, the Universal Children’s Rights Day is also the 30^th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Albania it was celebrated with children and youths-led activities in Korça, where children and youths of Albania, spoke for their rights. Under the theme of “A world of colours – a world of rights!”, children raised their voices for their rights to be respected and realised for every child, with a focus on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable peers, demanding for their very basic needs to be addressed.

With no speeches from adults, the event was held as a hearing for all the questions and issues of concern raised by children and youths, through their performances, on existing challenges to the rights to education, protection, participation and health. The event brought together children and youths from Burrel, Durrës, Elbasan, Korça, Shkodra, Tirana and Vlora, with interactive theatre plays, personal stories in the form of TEDx talks, beatboxing song, children’s rights games, video screenings, exchanges with famous influencers, exhibitions etc.

Children were greeted by some of the well-known public figures in Albania and supporters of children’s rights – Roland Hysi, Luiza Gega and Vitmar Basha who shared their personal stories and delivered inspiring messages to the children.

Present at the event were representatives from the Albanian Government, local authorities as well as international and civil society organisations, including EU Ambassador Luigi Soreca, Dr. Roberto De Bernardi - Representative of UNICEF in Albania, Artina Morava - Programme Director of World Vision, Alketa Lasku - Country Director of Terre des hommes, Anila Meco, Country Director of Save the Children, Teuta Shkenza, National Director of SOS Children's Villages Albania, Julinda Vokopola Deputy of Initiative ARSIS and Ingrid Jones Executive Director of Partnerë për Fëmijë. They all listened to the issues that matter to Albanian children and their demands for a society that offers a decent future to all children.

For the fourth year in a row the event was organised, moderated and presented by children and youths, in partnership of the Delegation of the European Union to Albania, UNICEF, Terre des hommes, Save the Children, World Vision, Partnerë për Fëmijë, SOS Children’s Villages and the Initiative ARSIS This activity was also supported by the Municipality of Korça.