Country Programme 2006-2010
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© UNICEF Albania/04-0032/G. Pirozzi |
UNICEF was established in Albania in 1992 following the collapse of the Communist government. Initially, we focused on basic services- helping to ensure that children were immunized, eating well and attending school. As transition to stability and pluralism has advanced, our role has shifted. Now we support the government and other civil society institutions to develop the structures needed to fulfill the rights of every child. Our fundamental aim is to create a “children’s first” mindset in Albania – a core belief that before any policy is adopted or any action taken, society routinely asks, “will this be good for children?”
WHAT UNICEF DOES?
We work and speak out for the rights of every child in Albania. We work closely with government to make sure that children needs are prioritized in policies and strategies – and we help build the capacities of relevant departments. And, we support numerous partners in establishing services needed by children and women. UNICEF along with the Albanian Government aims to create societies that recognize children as holders of rights, not simply objects of concern. We expect that the State will move rapidly to ensure that all the rights of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are recognized and all children enjoy those rights without discrimination.
These efforts fall into three broad program areas:
• Social policy, information and advocacy
We work to ensure that government has the capacities needed at national, regional and local levels to monitor and report on policy implementation from a child rights perspective. We focus on high-level advocacy for policies and budget to help realize the rights of marginalized children, youth and women, and on creating the skills and fora among these groups to advocate for their rights.
• Children’s health and development
We take action to ensure that preventive and curative health care and adequate nutrition are made available to all children and those who care for them. We focus on increasing access to and availability of quality Early Childhood Development services through improving family and community care practices for young children and improving children’s school readiness. UNICEF devotes special efforts to ensure equal learning opportunities for all children and that school discipline respects children’s rights.
• Child, youth and family protection
A country in transition is a country full of risks for children, young people and women. We help Albania to support its vulnerable citizens from child trafficking, substance abuse and violence and HIV/AIDS. This program aims to strengthen national policies, institutional frameworks and service delivery in child protection, HIV/AIDS and juvenile justice. Protection targets children and families most at risk based on the belief that if the child protection system can protect these groups, it can protect all children. We work on building capacity of officials and service providers, piloting of local child protection units and developing standards and models for child protection activities, especially in juvenile justice. We work to empower young people with the skills to make informed choices and develop to their full potential.
