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Ministers' Deputies
CM Documents
679 Meeting, 15[-16]
September 1999
6 Social and Economic Questions
6.1 Situation of children in Albania
Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1398 (1999)
European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS)
2nd meeting of the Forum for Children (Strasbourg, 16 April 1999)
Extract from the Report of the meeting
CM(99)124 18 August 1999
MEETING REPORT
1. The second meeting of the Forum for Children took place in
Strasbourg on 16 April 1999, with Mrs Inger-Johanne WREMER (Norway) in the chair. The
agenda and list of participants appear in Appendices I and II respectively of the full
meeting report (document CDCS PC(99)7). The meeting was attended, inter alia, by Mr
Gjergji LEKA, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Albania, and by three
members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as by
representatives of most of the other bodies who are partners in the Forum.
Ad hoc terms of reference concerning Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 1398 (1999) on the situation of children in Albania
2. The Forum’s principal item on the original agenda was
to discuss the ad hoc terms of reference from the Committee of Ministers' Deputies
concerning the Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1398 (1999) on the situation of
children in Albania (see Appendix III).
3. Mr LEKA (Albania) referred to the need to go beyond the urgent
short-term approaches that need to be addressed. He also stressed the need for medium and
long-term approaches in dealing with problems such as the prostitution and exploitation of
children. The Albanian Government had adopted a National Childhood Strategy, intended to
prepare a democratic future for children in Albania. It had therefore taken measures to
set up an inter-ministerial Childhood Committee to deal with matters concerning children.
The Committee would take into account activities carried out by the Council of Europe and
supply necessary information. The Committee needed both bilateral and multilateral
assistance, including assistance from the Council of Europe and from other international
organisations, especially those in Europe. The National Childhood Strategy was a first
priority, and the Deputy Minister appealed for aid and assistance. A similar strategy for
women would also be launched at a later stage.
4. Among the participants who contributed to the discussion was Mr
Claude EVIN (France), Chairman of the sub-committee on children, representing the
Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Social, Health and Family Affairs, which had prepared
the Recommendation.
5. A number of proposals for future activities were put forward by
representatives of steering committees present at the meeting. These cover short term,
medium term and long term proposals. A table of these proposals, together with information
about already agreed activities for 1999 where appropriate, is set out in Appendix III.
6. The Committee of Ministers is invited to take note of these
proposals, and to examine what concrete follow-up may be given to them, in the short,
medium and long term.
APPENDIX III
Ad hoc terms of reference
"Situation of children in Albania"
DECISION No. CM/711/260299
AD HOC TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Name of Committee: EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL COHESION (CDCS)
2. Source: Committee of Ministers
3. Completion date: 31 December 1999
4. Terms of Reference: Study, through the Forum for Children as being a multi-partner
and multidisciplinary body, the follow-up which could be given to Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 1398(1999) "Situation of children in Albania".
5. Committee(s) informed of the terms -
of reference for information:
PROPOSALS FROM THE MEETING OF THE FORUM FOR
CHILDREN CONCERNING FUTURE ACTIVITIES IN ALBANIA IN THE SHORT TERM, MEDIUM TERM, AND LONG
TERM, TOGETHER WITH INDICATIONS CONCERNING ACTIVITIES FOR 1999 ALREADY APPROVED.
SOCIAL COHESION
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: 1. Training and implementation
programme for newly created Regional and Local Authorities for the social protection of
children and families.
2. Needs assessment of children with disabilities in residential care and identifying
resources for meeting the most urgent material needs.
3. Fact finding mission (Task Force) to Albania to assess the situation of children
with disabilities in residential care and for action with a view to improve their
condition |
| Medium Term: Setting-up a pilot scheme for foster
families and community based family-type residential care units, as well as training
carers/educators and parents/families in the necessary skills to be able to care for
children with disabilities. |
| Long Term: Developing mechanisms, setting up services and
structures and creating means for education to allow (re-) integration into society for
children with disabilities. The objectives are to reduce the number of residential care
units in favour of care in families and integration in society. |
HEALTH DIVISION
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: Exploratory mission
- to determine the precise needs
- to develop co-operation with other organisations, particularly WHO (Europe) and the
European Commission |
| Medium Term: - set up programmes jointly with the
Albanian authorities on the basis of the findings of the explanatory mission |
| Long Term: 1. Re-organisation/re-orientation of health
care services to ensure that health promotion, disease prevention, cure and care for
children are properly integrated into the health care system and given the priority they
deserve
2. Training of health care staff dealing with children – management and
co-ordination of services, professional knowledge |
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON MIGRATIONS – CDMG
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: Assistance in the return and
resettlement of displaced populations from Kosovo, with special attention on the
conditions for the return of children |
| Medium Term: Organisation of a Round Table in Albania or
in one of the Albanian immigration countries (Italy, Greece, Germany) on how to achieve
the integration of Albanian families and to avoid that children "become victims of
violence, forced labour and prostitution". |
| Long Term: Assistance programme for the elaboration of a
legal framework on migration which would take account of the special needs of children |
POMPIDOU GROUP
Activities for 1999 |
The Demand Reduction Staff Training Programme (DRSTP)
follow-up project 1999-2002 includes Albania. This project will support national,
multidisciplinary drug demand reduction curriculum development. |
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: In co-operation with our DRSTP
liaisons and the Albanian Phare Experts assess current needs for improvements in the
national drug prevention policy using the Pompidou Group publication European Prevention
Handbook as a starting point. |
| Medium Term: In co-operation with relevant authorities in
Albania assist in developing a pilot project on local community prevention. Based on the
outcome, develop relevant sustainable staff training opportunities in the area of local
community drug prevention. |
| Long Term: Support development of small income generating
rehabilitation projects for young drug users focusing on skill development and
reintegration. This should be seen in continuation of the EU initiative on setting up a
national drug treatment centre |
COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON FAMILY
LAW (CJ-FA) – ADACS
Activities for 1999 |
| Seminar on the new draft Family Code. Possible dates and place :
Tirana, December 1999. ADACS [Joint Programme EC/CoE]. The Department of Codification of
the Albanian Ministry of Justice has been charged with the task of drafting a new family
Code (the existing family Code was adopted in 1982) and the Albanian Working Group set up
for this aim has been working for the draft for more than two years now. The Directorate
of Legal Affairs has been providing legal assistance and expertise through different
experts meetings (December 1996 Tirana, November 1997 Strasbourg). |
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: - Legal expertise on the new
Albanian Family Code to be carried out by the experts of the CJ-FA |
| Medium Term: - Seminar on the follow-up to the
implementation of the Law No. 7650 of 17 December 1992 relating to the adoption of
Albanian children by foreign citizens |
| Long Term: |
STEERING COMMITTEE ON CRIME
PROBLEMS (CDPC)
ADACS criminal law-related activities (juvenile justice aspects) for
1999 |
| 1. Seminar on "Minors and Judicial System"; 2. Expertise
meeting on drafting a law on the setting-up of sections for minors in the courts;
3. Study visit in one of the west European countries in order to study the functioning
of a Court of Minors in the context of strengthening such services in Albania |
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: 1. Expert meeting on evaluation of
the problems and needs of the Albanian authorities in implementing the Recommendation No.
R (91) 11 concerning sexual exploitation, pornography and prostitution of, and trafficking
in, children and young adults. |
| Medium Term: |
| Long Term: |
STEERING COMMITTEE FOR EQUALITY
BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN (CDEG)
Activities for 1999 |
1. Combating trafficking in girls for the purpose of
sexual exploitation.
2. Free choice in matters of reproduction and sexuality. |
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: Activity planned: information
seminar for NGOs, planned in co-operation with the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights; Demosthenes/Equality Programme; budget estimate:
30,000 FF; shortfall: 30,000 FF. |
| Medium Term: Consideration could be given to:
- training seminar(s) for NGOs on trafficking, in particular in places where migrants
are in transit to western Europe (harbours/Durres and elsewhere) (60-80,000 FF per
seminar);
- awareness-raising seminars for teachers/educators on the three topics mentioned
(60-80,000 FF per seminar);
assistance with the establishment of family planning centres aimed in particular at
teenagers (costing will depend on arrangements). |
| Long Term: |
EUROPEAN STEERING COMMITTEE FOR
YOUTH (CDEJ)
Activities for 1999 |
| 1. training course for youth leaders and civil servants responsible for
youth affairs, 28.2-7.3 99 2. traineeships for 3 young Albanians in
different NGYOs |
Proposals for future activities |
| Short Term/immediate: Open a special fund in the EYF to
finance youth projects held by NGYOs or national councils in Albania.
See with the CDEJ members which projects are held in Albania in this field and in the
framework of the Council of Europe, study the possibility to develop bilateral or
multilateral governmental activities
Information and exchange of good practice on problems of child prostitution,
refugees : which NGOs, which projects, which expertise were developed in this field |
| Medium Term: Help to develop youth information centres
which could provide information for the prevention of prostitution, drug abuse (we have
already sent information on this question to the department of youth, ministry of culture)
at national level but also at local level, maybe in co-operation with the CLRAE
Long term training course for youth organisations dealing with children problems within
the ADACS programme, maybe in co-operation with DASE, DECS develop a common programme on
child issues
Send team of representatives of different youth NGOs – as Council of Europe
consultants – for 6 months for example to develop some specific project, such as
mediation in intergeneration, inter ethnic conflicts, at school, in the family, etc.
See also possibilities to develop activities in this field within the Covenant between
the Youth Directorate and the European Union |
| Long Term: Develop intercultural dialogue through
intercultural learning : set up a long-term activity with schools and NGYOs in this
field |
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