Albania: 'Stop Child Labour And Exploitation� Protests

19 June 2006

The Children's Human Rights Centre of Albania together with other major child rights and human rights NGO's in Albania on the occasion of International Day Against Child Labour, organised this morning a protest under the motto �STOP CHILD LABOUR AND EXPLOITATION IN ALBANIA�. The protest took place in front of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

The main aim of the protest was to raise the public awareness at the level of the Government, NGO's and society at large on the phenomena of child labour and economical exploitation of children in Albania, and to lobby with all the actors of civil society to ask the Government of Albania a rapid response to the needs of child labourers for protection. The protest was supported financially by Olof Palme International Center and SIDA.

The protest was attended by some 60 children and adults from several NGO's in Albania such as: CRCA Children's Clubs, Albanian Civil Society Foundation, Diagonia Agapes, Useful to Albanian Women, CISP, YWCA, IRCCRA, including Child Rights Office at the Municipality of Tirana. The protest was followed with a great interest from the national media in Albania.

The protest continued for 40 minutes and during this time a NGO press statement was read to all the participants and to the media. Many banners were held by children and adults calling for the elimination of child labour and economical exploitation of children in Albania.

For more information, please contact: Alma Kordoni Maksutaj from the 'Stop Child Labour and Child Trafficking' Programme.