Today, on 30 March 2017, Childrens Human Rights Centre – CRCA Albania, Albanian National Child Helpline – ALO 116-111, in cooperation with the UNICEF office in Albania, the Albanian National Youth Network – ANYN and Albanian Coalition for Child Education – ACCE, held an open meeting: Safe Internet for all Children in Albania.
The aim of this meeting was to display the findings and concerns that institutions working for the protection and rights of children are faced in their work. Bringing in attention the dangers that children face on the Internet, the introduction of preventive information resources, the introduction of services for the treatment of child online abuse and exploitation cases, the legal framework analysis for child online protection, were the main issues discussed in meeting.
Mr. Altin Hazizaj, in his opening speech, stressed the current efforts done for the online safety and protection for children as well as the future challenges to prevent and protect children from online abuse and exploitation
The meeting was followed by the presentation of the short animated film “The story of Anna,” which encouraged the discussion of professionals, representatives of state institutions, representatives of civil society organizations, representatives of business companies, students, parents and all the interested social actors on the issue of child protection from online abuse and exploitation.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of the line ministries whose focus is child online protection. The vice minister Mrs. Bardhylka Kospiri on her speech stressed the inovations of the law “On the Rights and Child Protection” citing Article 27 of the law as one of the law essential changes and improvements for the protection of children from online abuse and exploitation . The vice interior minister Mrs. Elona Gjebrea, was focused on reflecting the steps taken by the Albanian government since the signing of the Abu Dhabi Cooperation Agreement in 2015 which paved the way and efforts to develop a national response to the child online sexual exploitation.
Meanwhile Mrs. Nora Malaj, underlined the role of teachers and educational institutions to raise children awareness about safe Internet browsing. She mentioned the MAS attempts to improve curricula and early intervention through the education of all stakeholders to contribute thus to the child welfare and education.
Mrs. Vera Gravilova, informed the audience upon #WeProtect, as an UK and UNICEF initiative, which aims to support the global level initiatives for the protection and treatment of children from online abuse and exploitation and which intends to identify and protect victims of sexual abuse.
ALO 116 introduced the representatives with the main data gathered through the Albanian National Child Helpline – ALO 116 and the National Platform of Child Online Safety – ISIGURT.AL. The representatives were also presented with the main findings from the National Awareness Campaign in the Educational Institutions for the Child Online Safety. This campaign was focused on informing and psycho educating students and teachers on cyber bulling, children exposure to inappropriate and illegal materials , online identity theft etc.
The meeting took place a year after the signing of the Joint Agreement of the Four Ministries for Child Online Protection , on continuity of the joint work of ALO 116, CRCA, ANYN, ACCE, Ministry of Innovation, Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, to enhance the Child Online Safety.
The meeting highlighted the importance of the coordination of societal actors working for the protection of children from all the forms of abuse and exploitation as well as the collection of recommendations from the representatives to improve programs and services in order to protect children and prevent cases of child online abuse and exploitation.
Finally, the meeting paved the way to a very important strategic document, such as the Action Plan for the Child Online Safety. This Action Plan is signed by the four line ministries and aims : to enhance the child online safety by strengthening the national and local capacities, by consolidationg the partnership between Institutions -NGOs – Industries for child online safety, by hardening the legal framework and policies for child online safety and also by informing and raising the awareness about children online safety issues.
Fur further information, please feel free to contact : info@crca.al and alo116@crca.al