Projekte

Kurzbeschreibung:

Projektziel

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the child-friendliness of the Albanian justice system by increasing the ownership of right-holders (children and youth) and duty-bearers (law enforcement and social care professionals). This will be achieved through empowering children and youth to actively participate in child/youth led initiatives.

Erwartete Ergebnisse

1) Children and youth act as agents of change that actively participate in child/youth led initiatives at community level that focus on rule of law, democracy, human rights and environment;

2) Children and youth act as agents of change that actively participate in child/youth led initiatives at community level that focus on gender & diversity, gender roles and social norms;

3) The capacities of justice professionals are developed to provide quality services to youth offenders, victims, and witnesses during criminal proceedings.

Zielgruppe

The overall number of direct beneficiaries is 2110:

1840 children, youth (boys and girls) and adult allies,160 professionals, 60 prosecutors, judicial police officers and victims’ coordinators, 25 School of Magistrates students / justice professionals as well as 25 children (boys and girls) in contact/conflict with the law supported through case assessment and case management will directly benefit from this project.

The targeted areas are Tirana, Elbasan, Shkodra, Lezha, Kukes, Diber and Cerrik.

Maßnahmen

The following activities will be carried out, among others:

- Build capacities of local stakeholders on how to engage and ensure children/youth participation and empowerment;

- Engage children and youth groups in the targeted areas to map and analyse the situation in their local communities;

- Design youth-led local action plans to promote and ensure the child and youth participation for innovative solutions at local level with engagement of municipalities and all key duty bearers;

- Develop youth-led advocacy messages, information and awareness campaign by targeting media, local and national communities and stakeholders;

- Establish and support a "Youth Advisory Board" to ensure consultation of national and local policy and decision-making bodies;

- Design and implement capacity building manual/guidelines for justice professionals on child friendly interviewing procedures/techniques;

- Design and implement a capacity building program for prosecutors, judicial police officers and victims’ coordinators on interviewing skills for juveniles who are victims of physical or sexual abuse.

Hintergrundinformation

In the last years in Albania, as part of national justice reform and implementation of rule of law, has undertaken very intensive steps toward the improvement of the legal framework, ensuring the full implementation of child rights both on child protection and child justice area. Since 2018 the country is implementing a New Code of Criminal Justice for Children – this encompasses a new approach that calls for systematic interventions on capacity building for professionals dealing with child justice. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of shifting from punitive to restorative approaches by application of diversion measures, while always keeping in mind the application of best interest of the child throughout the criminal procedures. The project will - among others - build upon a strong basis on Law 18/2017 on the Rights and Protection of the Child as well as the National Agenda on Child Rights 2021-2026 which identified the need for friendly systems & participation/empowerment of children and adolescents.