It’s been 99 years since the World Conference on Child Welfare in Geneva proclaimed June the 1st, as the International Children’s Day. Every year ever since Albanian families, schools, civil society, and public authorities use every opportunity to celebrate children, their rights, and their potential.

Rightfully, Albania has much to celebrate when it comes to achievements and advancement of child rights, particularly in this past decade. Albania has increased the number of children enrolled in pre-school education, more girls embrace vocational education and training, the country has reduced child and infant mortality, has less children in institutions or deprived of liberty, and improved on the quality and coverage of social care services. Albanian children are also more informed, aware, and demanding of their rights. For instance, the People’s Advocate did not have any complaints on child rights violations coming directly from children until 2019. Today over 100 children every year approach this human rights institution for remedies.

Thirty-five years ago, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was born, at a time when Albania was approaching the end of its monistic regime and when human rights talks were almost a taboo. Interestingly, it was the young people’s protests that sparked the overall national demand for an Albania just like the rest of Europe – a quest that is as relevant today as it was back then. We should never underestimate the immense potential and drive for change that adolescents and young people bring to their own communities, country, and entire world. We are so heartened by the civic engagement of young people and the multitude of ideas and change projects generated and implemented by girls and boys all over Albania. From electronic apps to dialogue channels with politicians, from promoting autochthonal plants to supporting the senior citizens leaving alone, Albanian youth are critically thinking through, the issues that concern them the most, and are developing smart and creative solutions to address those. If one is to support Albania to get closer to EU membership, this is the kind of up-shift that must be embraced. These young people are thinking and acting like their European peers: with human rights awareness; sustainable development at heart; environmentally-conscious; and with an appreciation for hard work and law-abiding behaviours – in other words, they are Europe! 

Albania ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, committing to fulfil these internationally-established child rights standards as well as submitting itself to the review of progress performed periodically by the Committee on the Rights of the Child – a mechanism introduced by this Convention. In October 2023, the Committee reviewed Albania’s progress and commended the country for improving its legislative and policy framework on various aspects of child rights and protection. It, however, drew the country’s attention to one key word: implementation. The Committee emphasized as a matter of priority and urgency for Albania: the issues of discrimination; violence against children, including sexual exploitation and abuse; education, including vocational education and career guidance; and, finally, the social security and standard of living of children.

The Committee could not leave out equally important recommendations that encouraged Albania to strengthen the national human rights institutions, such as the People’s Advocate and the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, and to step up implementation of these bodies’ recommendations as they pertain to child rights.

The CRC Committee observations represent quite a task for Albania for this coming decade! The good news is that they converge so well with Albania’s EU accession path. Indeed, implementation of the CRC is a shared commitment of all the EU member- and aspiring States. Several of the EU negotiation opening benchmarks have been designed to benefit all human rights, including the human rights of the child in Albania. There is a risk, however: every Albanian decision-maker, whether at the legislative, executive or judiciary, and every professional at the capillary level of governance must keep an eye on whether major reforms, growth plans, accession and development roadmaps designed and implemented in the country are, in fact, producing positive outcomes for children, or on the contrary, whether are they letting children fall between the cracks.      

The decentralization efforts must not fail the most vulnerable children who need social services and care not tomorrow, but today. The impressive gender equality advancements must prevent the Roma or the village girl from marrying as a child or even worse, dropping out of school because of that. The country’s economic progress must translate into the eradication of child poverty. The health, education and other social services must prevent and protect children from all forms of violence, neglect, and abuse in all settings. The education reform must not let the boy from a poor family drop out or the girl with disabilities remain out of school. No barriers should impede children and adolescents from receiving quality and equitable health care. The youth engagement platforms must bring out, not only the views of the most privileged and articulate children but the voice of the voiceless, the vulnerable and disadvantaged boys and girls who are most likely to stay behind. The Justice System Reform or the new Judicial map must look at the actual impact on the life of the juvenile awaiting trial at the detention centre in Kavaja, or on the life of the child torn between two parents who are battling for child support and custody for years in front of the court. Our children must feel that Albania is there for them every day of their upbringing, with meaningful dedication and structural support.

For over thirty years, the international community, including UNICEF and the UN have stood by Albania’s side to accompany it towards full implementation of the international standards and its own legislation on child rights. However, the foreign aid landscape, considering new conflicts at Europe’s doorstep, the COVID-19 aftermath, and the massive migratory flows, has perhaps, changed forever, thereby diminishing considerably the funding opportunities in support of Albania’s children. This, in turn, augments the need for the country to shoulder most of its responsibilities to ensure the services, care and the support that children in Albania need. The question is not whether Albania can afford to properly finance the implementation of child rights, but rather, with 21 per cent of its child population dropping in the past decade, can Albania afford the luxury not turn all its energies and resources towards its own offspring’s education, upbringing, and reaching full potential. The true challenge for the country is not to go to Europe but rather bring Europe and its standards home to Albania. After all, Albanian youth is still demanding: “Make Albania like the rest of Europe!” 

On the occasion of the 1st of June, UNICEF and the People’s Advocate invite all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to upholding and protecting the rights and principles enshrined within the Convention, taking concrete steps towards its full implementation, to enhance financial and human investments for the advancement of child rights, to strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships and coordination, and to engage adolescents and young people, as agents of positive change in the promotion, protection and monitoring of their own rights, for the present and the future.